Shooting Stars and All That
by romeothewriter
Summary: Chloe Beale has just moved into the baddest neighborhood in LA due to pure stubborn pride. After a shooting happens in the apartment next door, she decides to get herself a gun. The license is one thing. The ability to shoot it? Completely different. Can a low key DJ help her out as well as help herself in the process? First Multi fic. AU
1. Slumville

CHAPTER 1

Chloe was jerked from her peaceful slumber abruptly. She bolted up into a sitting position, looking around for the origin of the loud sound. Another boom went off to her right, and she pinpointed it coming from the apartment next door. She whimpered, quickly making her way down the hall to assure the front door was locked and bolted. It was the fourth shooting of the week in her building alone, and there had been many more in the apartment complex as a whole. It was why Aubrey had been skeptical about the complex to begin with when she helped Chloe move in, but with Chloe only starting her new job that next week, she didn't have much extra money to work with. Her father, the owner of a very successful barbecue restaurant chain, would have surely helped, but Chloe was so stubborn. She had vowed to herself her junior year of college that she would be independent the moment she was handed her degree, or at least try before calling up Richard Beale.

The reason she had chosen the worn-down apartment complex in the end was not only its price and the fact that utilities were included, but also because of its proximity to the middle school she would be working at as the choir teacher. Leave it up to bubbly and optimistic Chloe Beale to take a job at one of the worst schools in LA and help children with more issues than a magazine. She was excited about starting work on the first of September, but the neighborhood itself was ten times worse than she had originally dubbed it. With Aubrey living in Seattle working in her father's law firm, she was closer than Atlanta but still not close enough for comfort. It would surely be a challenge as far as independence went.

As Chloe triple-checked the locks on the door, she couldn't help but wonder if she had made the right choice. She was now locked in a one-year lease, and the penalty she would have to pay if she chose to break it was double what she would pay in that year. She couldn't afford that, so she had to buckle down and get used to it. She sat down on the couch now, checking her phone. It was three a.m. Aubrey was surely sleeping by now, closely abiding by her bedtime of nine p.m. She didn't start working at her father's firm until the following Monday, so she would surely soak up as much sleep as possible in this last week as she had seen her father go days without so much as a power nap, his body always flowing with caffeine to make it through late nights at the office. Her mother worked in the firm with him as well, so she wouldn't complain. She was just as much a workaholic as him, and Aubrey would no doubt meet the same fate.

Chloe turned on the TV and tuned into CSI: Miami after preparing herself a pot of coffee and a plate of cinnamon rolls. Sleep had not been a usual occurrence since moving into the crime-ridden complex. She ran her fingers through her long, ginger locks when she heard the sirens at last responding to what had just gone on next door. She had never seen her neighbor, but she still wondered if they were okay. It worried her how frequently the shootings occurred. Of course, this part of LA was known for their crime rate, and even though Aubrey and her friend Stacie, who also lived in LA, on the better side of town where she worked as a massage therapist, tried to talk her out of it, she had been set on her decision. Chloe was not one who liked to admit to defeat, so although she had the urge to whine to one of her friends, she had been glad to have the excuse that the two of them were asleep now. She would call Stacie in the morning, maybe schedule a lunch, and get over the night's events as always.

As she became engrossed in the show, she wondered what it would be like to be a CSI, running towards the crimes rather than hiding from them. What would it have been like to be on the other side of the apartment door right now, investigating the scene and looking for clues to figure it out. She now watched as Horatio and a woman on his team were in the shooting range, and she wondered if it would be a good idea to get a gun license and learn how to shoot. It couldn't hurt right? It would be better than simply hoping no one ever became curious about her apartment and came bulldozing in. Yeah, she would definitely look into it the next morning.

Chloe drifted off to sleep after about two episodes of the enticing show, and she had dreams of shooting ranges and vigilante missions. Hey, a girl can dream of course. When she awoke the next morning on the couch, it was ten a.m. She sat up slowly, shutting off the TV via the remote before reaching for her phone on the coffee table. She called Stacie after rubbing the sleep from her eyes, hoping that the tall brunette would answer. She finally did after several rings.

"Hey, Red," she greeted brightly. "How's the other side of the tracks?"

"Pretty good, I suppose," Chloe replied groggily.

"Did you just wake up?"

"Uh, sorta."

"Wow, it's ten o'clock."

"Thank you for the update. Rough night."

"That explains the grumpy tone. You wanna meet for lunch at noon?"

"You read my mind."

"Okay, I'll see you in awhile. I have a client now. Just meet me here at the parlor."

"You got it."

Chloe ended the call then stood up with a grunt, going into the bathroom to shower. She was dressed and ready to go by eleven fifteen, and she decided that if she wanted to make it on time across town on a Tuesday afternoon, she had to leave straight away. As she turned on the stereo, her favorite radio show was on as always at this time, her bubbly happiness instantly replacing her grumpy attitude. She had immediately gone through each station upon arriving in LA to find her presets for her red Honda Civic. There was a mix playing, several different songs blended to perfection. She had learned that the station played a lot of some really hot LA DJ named DJ Titanium B. Chloe had been caught by the name of course, the title of her "lady jam" thrown in there, and when she heard the mixes, she was blown away. She loved how seamlessly the songs were meshed together, and she had even purchased some on her iPod to listen to when they weren't on air. With the DJ actually taking over the show for a day at the request of many fans, the music was bar none the best playlist Chloe had ever heard on radio. Her and the DJ shared their taste in music, and Chloe found it quite charming how the DJ had taken the show at the simple request of the fans. She was surprised when the DJ began speaking, and it was a feminine voice. Of course, as a woman, she appreciated it, but she was still awed at the fact that the west coast's hottest new DJ was a woman. She never would have guessed.

She pulled into the parking lot of Stacie's massage parlor two minutes before twelve, and before Chloe could make it to the door, the busty brunette pranced outside wearing a million dollar smile.

"Hey, Red!" she exclaimed, enveloping the slightly shorter woman in a hug.

"Hey, Stace!" she replied as they parted. "Why so-happy?"

"Lunch is on me today. I got a very gracious tip from my last client."

"Was it a man?" Chloe glanced down at her friends assets, which were just about ready to burst forth from her low-cut top.

"Yeah, why?" As smart as Stacie was, she was still dense.

"Well, I mean, I'd probably just hand you my credit card too if those monsters were up in my face. They're poised to attack."

Stacie just smiled. "Now I remember why I like having a lesbian best friend. You always know how to boost my self-esteem while at the same time knock it down. Here I really thought that I was a great masseuse was all."

"Oh, you are, but trust me. Those trolls really help."

The two laughed as they linked their arms and made their way into the plaza next to the parlor. Chloe and Stacie had met in their freshman year of college back in Atlanta when they both joined a singing group, Aubrey as well. Chloe and Aubrey had grown up together in Seattle, and they had both attended Barden University due to the equally great law and education programs it held. When Chloe had first seen Stacie, she could not deny that the girl was stunning with her long brown hair, her sparkling matching eyes and her legs that went for days. The day that Stacie executed a full-on split in rehearsals nearly did Chloe in, but they became really close friends. Stacie was, hmmm, promiscuous to say the least. She had many boys in and out of her dorm through those four years, and Chloe's crush had subsided without ever being admitted, so their friendship had survived the turmoil of college and made it to LA in one piece. Chloe still always complimented Stacie, and Stacie did the same. She even flirted with the redhead at times because, hey, if there was anyone worth a girl crush, it was Chloe. She was flawless with her long, wavy red hair and bright cerulean blue eyes that looked animated, like a Disney cartoon. Her skin was as smooth as porcelain, same color too. She was tall with toned abs, chiseled from the finest marble. She was drop-dead gorgeous, plain and simple, and not even straight-as-a-door-nail Stacie could deny it.

As they settled into a little cafe, the girls fell into easy conversation about their first two weeks in the big city of Los Angeles. Chloe told Stacie about her love of the radio show she listened to daily, and Stacie agreed that she had heard it as well and loved it. Their passion for music had always been their biggest connection, and Stacie loved the way her friend's eyes lit up at the topic.

"So, you really like that 'hood you're living in?" Stacie asked with a smirk when their food came, "because it's all over my news just about every night."

"Sure, it isn't Beverly Hills or anything," Chloe scoffed, failing to meet her friends gaze as she picked up her chicken sandwich. "I'm comfortable there though."

When Chloe looked up after a bit of her sandwich, she saw the disbelieving look in the brunette's eyes. Her eyes widened as her head poked forward slightly as if to tell her to come off the bullshit and tell her the God-honest truth. Chloe swallowed and sighed, staring at Stacie warily. Stacie's gaze did not let up.

"Okay, so maybe it's a little-rough," she groaned, looking down once more in defeat. "My-neighbor may or may not have been shot last night."

"Chloe!" Stacie gasped, completely forgetting to say 'I told you so'. "Are you serious, and you're going to stay there?"

"Well, I already signed the lease, and I cannot afford to break it."

"You know, if you feel uncomfortable or unsafe at a place, you have the legal right to break the lease. You're aware of that, right?"

"Yeah, and sit through court and pay lawyers and-"

"First of all, you can Call Aubrey. She'll represent you. Second of all, you can sue them for lawyer fees, and third of all, I'd rather watch you sit through court then be forced to sit through your funeral!"

"Okay, okay, I get it, but it's the closest place to work, and I can tough it out. I'm actually going to look into getting a gun license after this."

"Yes, because keeping a gun makes me feel better."

"It'll make me feel better. I was watching CSI last night, and-"

"Oh, Chloe." The brunette drug her hands down her face.

"What? It'll be fine, Stace, I promise. If it keeps happening, I swear I'll call Aubrey."

Of course Chloe didn't have to because the next day, as she left her first course she had to complete to get her gun license, her phone began to buzz. She saw Aubrey's name flash, and she sighed, prepared to have a long talk with Stacie about snitching. That's the word she had heard thrown around in her complex.

"Hello, Bree!" she greeted, overly enthusiastic. "How are you, bestie?"

"You're breaking that lease," Aubrey immediately concluded.

"Okay, skip the pleasantries I suppose."

"Chloe, for serious. That place is dangerous. You could get killed, and you're beautiful!"

"Uh, thank you?"

"I'm sure men will try and take advantage of you eventually."

"That's why I'm getting myself a gun."

"With the money you spend on a gun, you could easily break the lease."

"Not true. That penalty fee is outrageous."

"Yes, because they try to lock you in, but you and I can break it. We just-"

"Okay, Bree, okay. Just-let me look for a place closer to work then I'll call you, but seriously, by the time we go through all this, the year will be over."

"Just go look for a place. I'll start up some paperwork to fax your landlord."

"Bree, it's honestly not that bad."

"Your-neighbor-got-SHOT!"

"Yes, not me. For all I know, the guy had it coming."

"Oh, sweet Jesus, that place is getting to you."

"No, logic is getting to me. Now, I have to go. I'm going to pick out my new toy."

"Lord, help us all. Do you even know how to shoot that thing?"

"Not yet, but I'm hitting the shooting range next week. Gonna bust a cap in some asses, ya know what I'm sayin'."

"Chloe, please stop. You're scaring me."

Chloe giggled. "Chill out, Bree, I'm only kidding. No ass capping yet."

"Ugh, I'll call you later."

"Bye!"


	2. Hand It Over to A Pro

A/N: Thanks for the follows and the review I received. Please review, give feedback, suggestions. I promise to do my best to update regularly. I'm actually a screenwriter and fan fiction has become a new guilty pleasure of mine so I'm open to all things. I just fell in love with this pairing, namely Chloe so please continue with feedback

CHAPTER TWO

Chloe pulled into the shooting range of a cinderblock building promptly at four. She had just finished up her first Friday at her new school, and it had been quite an adventure. Middle school children were no joke. She couldn't imagine being the English or Math teacher. All week, Mr. Cannon and Mrs. Simon came in looking distraught and exhausted by morning recess. They called the children "menacing" and future criminals. Sure, Chloe could see why. The children there were careless, rude, disrespectful and dismissive. Her choir classes, three of them a day for each grade, consisted of nine to twelve children each, mainly girls. The sixth graders were attentive and quite excited about the course. The seventh graders were a bit more reserved, and Chloe had to pretty much force them to participate with a stern tone and threats of a visit to the principal's office. The eighth graders were pure divas, all trying to sing over each other and outdo one another. It reminded her of her freshman year in the Bellas, their acapella group. It had taken the whole week to get the girls to listen to her first lesson on keys, and that came at the cost of incentive, bribing the girls with homemade strawberry shortcake. To put it bluntly, it had been a long week, and Chloe hoped that she could release some sort of stress at the shooting range.

She had just completed the gun license course in record time, which was saying a lot for California, and she had just picked up her new Beretta. She picked up the sleek black case holding the weapon and made her way inside. There were a few men standing around in the lobby, and also a few women. She went up to the front desk with an excited smile like a kid in a toy store, and the man behind the desk mirrored it without much thought.

"Hi!" he greeted. "How can I help you today?"

"Hi, I'm Chloe Beale, and I have an appointment with Matt Carter today," she explained. "I'm learning to shoot."

"Oh right. Okay, hey Matt!" he called, turning around in his chair towards the hallway behind him lined with offices.

An older man with salt and pepper hair and intense grey eyes only a few inches taller than Chloe came from one of the offices. He smiled at the redhead tentatively.

"You must be Chloe," he said softly, and she nodded. "Okay, come on."

He came from behind the desk and led her down a second hallway. She could hear shots coming from the back room faintly, and she guessed the walls were thickly padded for sound control. He led her into a side room a few doors away from the back double doors, and he sat at a table, gesturing her to do the same. She did so in a chair across from him, placing her case before her on the table.

"Okay, let's see what we have here," he sighed with a smile, pulling the case toward him and opening the lid. "Ah, very nice. .9 mm Beretta, a good starter. So what we will do first is learn all parts of the gun then I'll teach you how to clean it and load it. We'll go through basic safety tips as a refresher from the course, and lastly, we will get you out into the range. Sound good?"

"Sounds great," she replied, giddy with excitement.

Matt took her through each tier patiently and thoroughly, and Chloe caught on quickly. As he taught her to load the gun, she watched in awe. She ran her hand along the clip before sliding it into the weapon, and she got a feel for it in her hands. When the lesson had finally come to a close an hour and a half later, he handed her some big red earmuffs and led her down through the large double doors at the end. There were rows of small cubicles where people were lined up, shooting at paper targets with circles around the torso areas and another set of bullseye circles around the head. He took Chloe down to the far end where an open cubicle stood, and he stepped inside first. He took his own weapon from a holster at its side, giving her commentary on the position of his legs as well as his hands and arms with the weapon itself. He guided her through the entire process before actually letting off the shot, and Chloe had to strain to hear him through the earmuffs and other shooters around them. When he at last allowed Chloe to take position in the center of the cubicle, her anxiety had long since shot through the roof. He had her take the weapon off safety before cocking it then he adjusted her stance properly. When all this was done, he gave her tips on how to aim. When she at last pulled the trigger, it were almost as if nothing had happened. She hadn't hit the target, but the gun had recoiled, letting her know that she had in fact shot. She almost lost grip on the weapon.

"A tight grip is important," Matt roared over the noise. "Try again."

Chloe did so, and though she still missed her target completely, the gun remained stern in her hands.

"Keep your wrists taut," he instructed from beside her. "It's probably easier to close one eye to start off, getting a feel for your aim." The next shot hit the corner of the paper. "Good, now judge based on that and make the necessary adjustments to your aim."

Though Chloe followed every ounce of advice Matt offered, she made it another hour without so much as hitting the outline of the figure on the paper. It was a bit frustrating for her, who was not used to failing at all, but the feel of the gun in her hands was quite exhilarating. When Matt called it a day, she assured him that she would be back as soon as possible. She vowed that she would hit that target eventually, and he replied with a hearty chuckle and a pat on her shoulder. It was going to be a fun time.

The following week, Chloe made it routine to go to the shooting range immediately following work. Stacie was skeptical about the whole thing, but when Chloe invited her along, she promptly refused, saying something about some guy, or guys, she was seeing. Aubrey was still pressing her about finding a new place, but Chloe only told her that she had called the Sheriff's department requesting a night patrol. This was of course a lie, but Chloe had it down pat enough to where Aubrey gave up fighting it after the first few times. Gunshots were still the theme of the redhead's complex, but now that she had taken the initiative to learn to defend herself, she felt a lot better. At least the shooting wasn't occurring on her floor anymore.

It was the third week of Chloe's shooting training, and Matt looked more wary than ever. She had still not been able to hit the mark, and though she was determined and focused, something was just not clicking, and he had no idea what it was. Matt looked on from behind her, all out of advice as she let off her fifth pointless shot of the day, gritting her teeth in frustration as she stared intently at the target. Suddenly, a voice boomed over the intercom.

"Matt Carter to the front desk, please," the voice called. "Matt Carter, front desk."

Chloe looked over at the man, who released an exasperated sigh at the call.

"I'll be right back," he assured her, setting down the ammunition box before her on the small shelf. "Hey, Becs!" He was now looking over at someone standing behind the cubicle. "Haven't seen you around lately."

"Yeah, I've been swamped with work," a female voice returned dully, and Chloe felt that the voice was familiar, but she couldn't pinpoint where. "I can't stay away from this place for too long though, you know. You training today?"

"Uh, yeah actually, but as you heard, someone just paged me. Hey, how about you come help our young padawan over here? Her name's Chloe, and well, she could use some insight from our star amateur shooter."

The girl laughed heartily. "Is that right? You parading me around now, Carter? You don't pay me enough for that."

"I don't pay you at all, but hey, no one told you to come in and destroy our targets all the damn time, Mitchell. Now, can you help me out or not? She's paying for a full lesson, and we're wasting it standing here bullshitting."

Chloe wasn't sure if she liked being discussed as if she weren't there, and she turned around to remind Matt that she was in fact there, but all words were caught in her throat when she saw what now stood in front of her. The woman was rather small, like a wallet-size photo small, with dark chocolate locks flowing down her shoulders and toned arms. Her eyes were an intricate color, a navy blue outlined with silver. She wore a white v-neck that hung loosely from her petite figure, but Chloe was betting on a taut stomach and nice rack beneath it. Bottom line, the girl was completely gorgeous even with her intimidation ear spike and reserved expression.

"Hi," the brunette said softly, taken aback by the tall redhead before her that looked more like she should be in a Disney movie than a shooting range. "I'm Beca."

"Uh, Chloe," she replied, quickly recovering from her shock to shake the girl's outstretched hand. "So, star shooter, huh?"

"I guess it is saying a lot from a retired SWAT officer." She shrugged, a smirk set on her lips that nearly turned Chloe to mush. "So, what is it you need help with?" Chloe blushed slightly, looking back over at the target, which held no damage save for the small knick on the lower right corner.

"You see how pretty that target looks, how fresh?" she asked, and Beca nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'm already on my second clip."

She huffed a large breath now, her arms falling limp at her sides.

"Okay," Beca chuckled. "Let's see it, and we'll go from there."

Chloe turned around slowly, and Beca took position, unable to see over the taller girl and having to settle for standing right behind her dominant right arm. This would be a bit difficult considering Beca's a lefty, but they would manage. As soon as Chloe shot, she could see what was wrong, and she could not believe that seasoned SWAT vet Matt didn't catch it. She was surely going to slap him upside his head and tell him to get his eyes checked when he returned. Beca placed her arms shyly around Chloe, causing both girls' hearts to quicken and breath to slow. She took the redhead's hands in hers, unable to believe she was actually initiating any type of contact, with a stranger much less, for whatever reason. She wasn't as closed off and annoyed by touchy-feely behavior as she had once been, but it had been a long time since contact had been needed. Therefore, she was pretty rusty.

"Okay," she breathed, both trying to calm herself and get the girl's attention. "Your hands are jerking to the right at the same time you're shooting. That's why you miss. Now, let's try taking a shot together first to keep it steady, okay?"

Chloe nodded, and Beca's grip on her hands tightened slightly, nearly causing her to collapse. The brunette's height disadvantage caused her to press fully against Chloe's back, and though both women were freaking out, they couldn't deny the electricity flowing from their bodies. It took everything in Chloe to hold her focus on the target at hand. Beca adjusted her slightly, and when they were steady, Beca held firm and gave Chloe a nod, her chin touching her shoulder blade. Chloe shot, and for the first time, her bullet hit within the outline of the paper criminal. Chloe shrieked in excitement, her hands flying up in the air, causing Beca to jump back.

"Whoa, Red!" she yelped. "That thing's still-"

No need to finish the sentence. The gun went off just as her arm shot out to the side, the bullet hitting the target two rows down in the neck. Beca's jaw dropped as Chloe stared on in awe, unmoving.

"Uh," the brunette finally managed. "I'm not sure if I should worship you or slap you upside the head, so I'll hold off on both for now."

Chloe at last turned to look at her, a small smile slowly growing into a grin.

"You taught me how to shoot," she chimed. "On one try, and that SWAT guy watched me fail for three weeks!"

"Hey, give the old man a break," Beca deadpanned. "He probably has cataracts or something by now. Besides, you still have a long way to go. I wont always be there to hold your hand." Literally.

"Well, if this was just a hobby, I wouldn't mind, but this is for serious protection!"

Beca gave her a concerned look. "Wait, what? Is someone threatening you, Chloe? Are you in danger?" Her concern was adorable.

"Well, not in any immediate danger, but-I don't live in the best part of town, and my complex's soundtrack happens to be gunshots and sirens."

"Doesn't sound like a very happy tune."

"No, not at all. Not even at three a.m. when they take it to the bridge." Chloe's hand gestures were ridiculous, and Beca had to laugh. "Yes, all very funny."

"You just, I took you for like, I don't know. Beverly Hills Cop maybe?"

"Ha Ha." Sarcasm dripped from the words. "No."

"Why do you live in the complex if its so bad?"

"It's close to the school I teach at, so I took the one-year lease, unaware I'd be living an episode of 'The Sopranos' and whatnot." Beca chuckled once more.

"I think it's more like 'The Wire' or something like that."

"Or both. Yeah, definitely both, so-are you going to help me learn to shoot then? Obviously, my tutor has ditched me after failing me for almost a month."

"Well, I don't know how often I can come down here."

"We can work something out. It's not like my schedule's too cramped aside from work, and that's pretty constant."

"Wow, getting flexible for me already?"

"You've seen nothing yet." The wink Chloe added gave Beca chills.

"Well, let's get through today, and if you don't make me wanna rip my hair out, I'll see what I can do about teaching you the ways of the force."

Chloe snorted at this but turned around anyway, positioning herself for the next shot while Beca took her prior position slightly behind her, taking in the girl as she did so and wondering where the hell she had been all of her life.

And so it went on like this for another two weeks, Chloe failing miserably at shooting until Beca's hands were on hers, Matt happily handing over the job to Beca, who denied any additional payment from Chloe. It was her old chivalry that had her refusing it, and besides, she was well off and didn't teach Chloe for the money. She was drawn to the redhead, and she had been manipulating her schedule in order to make their shooting sessions greatly. Her father, who lived up in Oregon, had even heard the change in her voice when he talked to her. He and Beca had always been close since her mother had died when she was seven, and she guessed that her masculine demeanor and maybe even her sexuality had been a direct result of being raised by a tough man such as her father. He had been a cop in his younger days, but when his wife passed, he had come home, settled for a teaching job with a fresh degree and taken care of his daughter as best as he could. Beca had been grateful. He had at first been skeptical about her moving to LA to become a DJ, but as he slowly had more and more direct contact with her passion for the music, he could not deny her skill and ability any longer. He had helped her move down there, and she had quickly blossomed into a hot topic. Even then however, Beca had always sounded a bit distant or unsure of something, as if she were missing something. Now when she called home, her dad could hear something new in her voice, a fullness that had been long removed since her mother's passing. Warren Mitchell was happy to hear it, but he didn't point it out. He would just wait until Beca was ready. Beca wasn't sure what it was that had made her more chipper each morning, but it had a positive effect on her mixes. Then, three weeks after starting to train Chloe, she began to have dreams of red hair and blue eyes. That's when she knew why her mixes were a little more deep and loving, compassionate and not as harsh or dark as once before. They were all excitement and thrilling, and it was because of the redhead that she had been thrown to one day in a shooting range. Goodness, what was she going to about this redhead? There was no way in hell she had a chance. The girl was so far out of her league that it should be a crime. Of course, Beca could try playing the DJ card. It worked with everyone else, but then again, that was the point. Beca didn't want Chloe to be like everyone else. There was something genuine and pure about the girl, and she wanted to feel the same-genuine and pure. She had bedded many women for the simple fact she was a big-shot DJ, and she no longer wanted that. She wanted someone to see her for her behind the big earphones and mixing boards. It was why she tried to stay out of the public eye as best as she could, why most people didn't know Beca, only DJ Titanium B. She was okay with it. She didn't make music for her fame, only the rightful attention for her music. If there was a chance with Chloe, which Beca still doubted but nonetheless fantasized about, she wanted to be real and not based on a shallow monicker and a playlist full of mixes.


	3. Win a Contest, Grow a Pair

_A/N: thanks guys for the amazing reviews and all the follows. I really love this story so updates are pouring in on my vacation. Continue with feedback. It inspires and motivates me. Chapter 3 is here. We delve deeper into Beca's life and some more familiar characters arrive soon. Enjoy_

CHAPTER 3

Stacie waved her friend over to the booth she had reserved for them at a diner midway between their homes. It was Stacie's day off as well as Chloe's for once, a beautiful Saturday, and they had agreed to dinner. Before Chloe could set her purse down, Stacie was pouncing.

"Okay, who is it?" she asked, her eyes locking on Chloe, her hands clasped together atop the table.

"Huh?" Chloe asked, looking up. "Who?"

"Chloe, you are glowing like a lamp. Who is she?"

"Who is-no one, Stacie. What are you even talking about?" As always at this time, Stacie didn't ask again but settled with an expecting glare, her head slightly jutting forward and her eyes wide. The waitress came and took their orders, but the moment she was gone, Stacie had the same look on her face, and Chloe had no choice but to give in. "Uh, she's-she's teaching me how to shoot. We met at the shooting range, and her name's Beca, and she's a small brunette that could probably fit in my pocket, but oh God, Stace, she is adorable!"

Stacie smirked. "Yeah, try hiding things from me again. Anyway, how long have you two been hanging out?"

"Well, we haven't-hung out, not on casual terms anyway." Now Chloe looked away, a flush creeping up into her cheeks.

"Okayyyy, how long has she been teaching you to shoot?"

"Six weeks."

"Six weeks! And you haven't even taken her home, Chloe!"

"Will you pipe the hell down!" she hissed, looking up again urgently. "I don't think the whole diner needs to know of this."

"Well, what do you expect?"

"She's-she hasn't-asked or anything. I mean, she's gorgeous. She's probably taken already."

"Chloe, uh, you're gorgeous, and you're single."

"Only because you're straight." She smirked, sipping her coffee, and Stacie couldn't help but grin.

"Regardless of that, you're really only single because girls are intimidated by you. You could have any guy you want, so they figure you wouldn't want a girl."

Chloe slapped a hand to her chest, feigning offense. "Ugh! Are you saying I'm not-lesbian enough?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying, actually."

"Okay, I'm sorry, but I don't even know what that means. I'm just-me."

"No, you're not because you would usually have already gone for it. You would have her in your house right now cooking you pancakes. What the hell?"

"I-I don't know, Stace, I just get so shy and stuff around her, like a little school girl around their hot teacher."

"Uh, eww, I don't want to know which teacher."

"That's not the point, Stace! Focus!"

"Okay, okay, but why? What's so great about her?"

"I don't know, everything. She's got this whole different style from other people, and she's so-reserved, like she doesn't give a damn about anything, like that bad boy Fonzie kinda thing going, and it throws me off. She's so smart when it comes to the whole shooting thing. They call her the star shooter, and she taught me how to shoot much faster than the first guy who tried was teaching me. She's just smart, but she's always sarcastic and witty, and it throws me off completely."

"Chloe, do you think she likes you?"

"I-have no idea. I mean, she might bat for the team, but my vision's so blurry from those navy blue eyes that I can't read it at all. She's different."

"Oh, Chloe, just invite her out. Say it's a 'thank you' or something. Just try. I mean, if anything, you guys can be friends. She obviously is too scared to take the initiative, and there is no way she doesn't like you if she does in fact bat for the team, so just try it out. You know you either do it, or I'm going to have to hear you whine about it."

"Hey, you wanted the info. I gave it to you."

"You know me always living in the moment. I forget about the consequences of my brainless actions."

Chloe swatted her friend playfully on the arm as their food arrived. Chloe knew that the brunette was right, and she would regret it if she never said anything about the small crush developing for the brunette. She decided that Monday at their usual meeting, she would ask her out to dinner or something, and if need be, she'd give the reason that it was to say thanks for putting up with her horrible shooting.

When Monday at last arrived, Chloe woke up chipper and excited. She was bright and welcoming during the school day, and even the seventh and eighth graders were unable to discourage her. At last, they too even obeyed her every instruction, and the day flew by quickly. When it was all over, Chloe changed in the teacher bathroom into a comfortable blouse and sweats for shooting practice. Friday had been good. She had hit the target, within the lines mind you, once without the brunette's help, and she had been ecstatic. Beca had insured that the safety was on before Chloe began her victory dance, laughing heartily at the redhead's antics and congratulating her.

When Chloe arrived at the range, she heard a bunch of ruckus coming from the back room where the range was located. She made her way back cautiously, sliding on her earmuffs, and when she entered, the occupants were rowdy and gathered around the two middle cubicles. She slid her way through the crowd to get a look at what was going on. She had to look down slightly to see Beca standing in the first cubicle. In the second cubicle stood Matt Carter, and they were apparently having a shooting contest if the cheers and chants were anything to go by.

"She's kicking your ass, Old Man!" one man whooped.

"Yeah, the kid's got skill," another older man agreed.

"She was born with two pistols in her hand, I swear," another man added in.

"Well, we all know she's got magic hands," a woman chimed, causing Chloe's eyes to widen and wonder what the hell that meant. "She's got it locked."

After two more rounds, Beca threw her hands up in victory.

"She got you by five shots, Old Man!" a burly man with sandy blonde hair chuckled. "Pay up and lay it down."

Matt smiled at the teasing and handed over a wad of cash to Beca before cupping her shoulder proudly.

"I taught her everything she knows," he reminded them, and they all laughed.

"Yeah, and now she knows more than you."

Now everyone was patting Beca on the back and congratulating her. When she saw Chloe, her modest half-smile turned into a megawatt grin, and though she would deny it if anyone ever pointed it out, it was reserved only for the vibrant redhead. Chloe took the girl into a tight embrace.

"You did awesome," she said as they parted.

"Thanks," Beca returned, and she looked down at the wad of cash then back up to Chloe. "Uh, Chloe?"

"Hmm?"

Chloe was unsure of what the brunette was going to say, but she looked nervous all of a sudden, the bad-ass demeanor all but forgotten now. Beca shifted from one foot to another nervously, and Beca placed an encouraging hand on her forearm.

"Would you-" Beca began. "Well, I-I don't know if you'd want to, but-I mean, would you want to- go to- I don't know. Ugh, hold on." She took a deep breath, taking Chloe's free hand in her own to prove to herself she could initiate these things. "Would you like to go out with me on Friday night? I think it's a good way to spend this prize."

Chloe could not believe it. What a turn of events. She had been so excited to finally have the courage to ask out the shorter woman, and now she didn't have to. She was beyond thrilled, and a wide grin cracked across her face.

"I was actually going to ask you," she admitted with a soft laugh.

"Don't try to discredit me, Beale, just answer the question." She smiled as well.

"Yes, Beca, I would love to go out with you."

After the women had finally resolved the date issue, Chloe's shooting actually became progressively better. She hit the target in the chest three times that day with only minimal aide, and Beca was more than proud of both Chloe and herself. She was proud of herself because she had never had much patience, and she never saw herself teaching yet she had done so without a complaint from Chloe. She had also been proud of herself because she asked her out on a date, which she never did. She settled for girls who would throw themselves at her, and she never took initiative. Now, here she was, being chivalrous and bold all because of the redhead and her outgoing, bright personality that Beca was infatuated with. It was quite enthralling, and she may have sort of liked the idea of being outgoing or whatever.

The first thing Chloe did when she arrived home after the shooting range was call Stacie. She waited impatiently as the phone rang, and when Stacie at last answered lazily, she shrieked.

"What the hell, Chloe!" Stacie breathed. "Are you okay? What's wrong? Did-"

"She asked me out," Chloe squealed into the phone quickly.

"Wait, what!"

"Beca asked me out! Bad ass sharpshooter Beca Mitchell asked me out!"

"Oh my gosh. When?"

"Today, at the range."

"When's the date?"

"Friday night at seven. We're taking a break from the shooting range."

"Oh, geez! I'll be at your place after work. We have to get you all dolled up, and I have to meet this mystery woman!"

"Uh, why?"

"Because she's a sharpshooter. Who knows what exactly she shoots at?"

"If she was planning to kill me, she wouldn't teach me how to shoot, Stace!"

"That's the reverse psychology strategy. Trust me. I watch CSI too."

"Oh, goodness. Please don't embarrass me."

"Me? Embarrass you? Oh, please, Chloe."

"Fine."

Meanwhile, on the other side of town...

Beca entered the cozy apartment she shared with her two best friends, Jesse and Amy. The two were sitting in the kitchen talking something about the Tasmanian version of Star Wars, but Jesse jumped up when he saw the DJ.

"Becawwww!" the brunette boy squawked happily. "So did you finally ask out the killer redhead we've been hearing too much about?"

Beca smiled at the boy's antics as she set her bag down on the counter.

"Yes, pal, I finally did," she replied calmly. "After I beat Carter's ass in a shootout."

"Oh, so you beat the old man at his own game and got the girl? Perfect movie ending."

"Predictable movie ending."

Not only was her oldest friend, who she had met in first grade, a huge, and sometimes annoying, movie buff, he was also a screenwriter and movie scorer. Beca had no idea how he had become best friends with him when she despised movies to no end, namely the cheesy predictable movies with the predictable endings he adored, but she figured opposites attracted. Maybe that was why her and Amy had been so close since high school. While Beca was quiet and reserved, Amy was loud and striving to get a laugh out of a crowded room. That explained how she was now an up-and-coming comedian working on her first big role in an indie movie. Her humor complimented Beca's sarcasm, and their banter was used many times in Jesse's screenplays, with their consent of course.

"Ah, Shaw-shank, you finally grew some junk!" the large Aussie blonde whooped, looking over at her.

Beca smiled at the nickname she had earned at a high school football game after punching the team quarterback in the nose for shoving Jesse and getting arrested for it. No one even taunted Jesse for the fact the girl fought his battle for fear of their own health. That same fear led said quarterback to drop the charges to her father's relief although he admired her reasoning.

"Yeah, yeah," Beca replied, rolling her eyes playfully.

"When's the big night?" Jesse asked.

"Friday."

"Dinner and a movie?"

"Ugh, I forgot that's the predictable date. No, I'm going to figure out something else. What the hell do girls like?" Amy flashed her that what-the-hell-are-you look, but she waved it off. "Come on, Amy, help me out."

"Okay, sistah, hmmm." She rested her chin on her palm in deep thought. "Oh! The carnival on the pier is sure to be a panty dropper."

"Not a good enough reason to use the words 'panty dropper'. That's not what I'm going for on the first date."

"Wait, what?" Jesse gasped, awe in his face. "DJ Titanium B is not going for the panty dropper on the first date? Jesus, she must be special. We have to meet this girl."

"Oh no, not just yet," Beca instantly retorted. "It's much too early to give her a reason to run for the hills."

"Oh, come on, we're not that bad, Becs."

"Uh, Jesse, remember Shelley back in high school?" He hummed his response with a nod. "You remember when I took her to that bonfire with us?"

His face went from waiting to insulted instantly. "Oh, come on, Beca! Who knew she would be so repulsed finding out we tried to pierce your nipple when we were twelve? It was a dumb mistake, and the skin repaired itself. What was the problem?"

"That _was_ the problem. Not to mention the 'we' you continued to emphasize. Look, as soon as I'm sure this can work, I promise I will bring her home, but you guys have to act your age."

"I'll consider it," Jesse huffed.

"And I'll consider not telling that new girl _you're_ dating that you still have the boxed set of Gossip Girls on DVD." Beca recalled the tall vivacious brunette Jesse had brought over to meet them two weeks back.

"It was a Christmas present, Beca!"

"Yeah, from yourself!"

"Whatever." He pouted slightly.

"Come on, let's get out of here for dinner. I've gotta drop off some new mixes to the station right now."

"Yeah, D-J! Wicky wicky whaaa..." Amy shouted as they headed back to the door.

"I wonder where the hell I found you guys sometimes," Beca grumbled.

Friday was slow to arrive for both Chloe and Beca, and since Beca's schedule was crowded with some shows she had scheduled at a new club in Hollywood, Chloe had been left on her own most of the week at the shooting range. Matt helped her a bit, and he was glad to see her at last hitting the outline of the target now consistently. She would get there eventually. He assured her of that.

When Friday did finally arrive, Stacie was banging down Chloe's door promptly at four, only moments after Chloe herself entered the place from work. When she opened the door, Stacie was cringing a bit, quickly stepping inside and closing the door.

"What the hell's wrong with you?" Chloe asked, eying her.

"Sorry, I shouldn't knock that way here," she whispered. "They probably thought I was the cops or somethings."

Chloe scoffed before heading towards her room, her friend in her wake. They entered the room, and Stacie was inside the closet within moments, browsing through the redhead's wardrobe.

"Do you know where you two are going?" she asked thoughtfully.

"No, I guess it's a surprise, but she did say to dress casual and comfortable," Chloe recalled, watching her friend closely.

"Okay, that narrows it down."

She at last emerged with blue jeans that she knew hugged Chloe's curves perfectly as well as a white low-cut v-neck and a red shirt beneath it. Chloe stared at the outfit a moment before nodding her agreement vigorously. She pulled her favorite pair of flats from beneath her bed as well as a light jacket from the closet just in case. Once she had the outfit laid out, Chloe ran to take a quick shower while Stacie ransacked her fridge, indulging herself in a snack pack and watching "Pretty Little Liars". She was just about as anxious as her best friend, and she really wanted to meet the girl who had made confident Chloe become a babbling mess.


	4. Lions and Tigers andddd Pandas?

A/N: Thanks everyone for following and the sweet reviews. Please continue with the feedback. It's very motivating. Let me know if you have any ideas or any other characters you may want to see and how you want to see them. I have some ideas but my ADD makes it difficult to focus on it. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy!

CHAPTER 4

Beca growled in frustration as she slipped on one of Jesse's movie cases, ironically Final Destination 5, and gripped the towel around her body tighter.

"Jesus Christ, let's just kill Beca and save her from screwing up tonight!" she screeched, causing Jesse to come bounding into the hallway, and he stopped abruptly when he saw her clad in only a towel.

"Whoa, do you need, _help_?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows playfully.

"Yes, I need you to go find me a new best friend," she deadpanned.

"I'm irreplaceable, sweetheart."

"Yes, and so am I, so if I slip on this case again and bust my head open, you're going to be really lonely with a house full of rats, so please watch your shit!"

"Jeez, Becs, chill out. I know you're nervous, but come on. The girl obviously likes you. You said that she said she was gonna ask you out anyway, so don't be nervous. From what I understand, girls love carnivals. Stacie and I might go tonight too, so if you need some help, I might-"

"Stay out of my vicinity, Swanson. I got this shit."

He threw his hands up in mock surrender but smiled anyway. "Got it."

"Yeah, I'm sure you do. Is Amy tagging along too?"

"No, she's going out to some comedy club to mingle tonight."

"Great, at least one of you can get a hint."

"Come on, Becs, that's my job as your les-bro."

"Eww, stop using that title. It's degrading."

"It's ingenious. I'm going to write a script based on us, and that's going to be the title. It's going to win us an Oscar or something."

"Or a public shunning."

"No, definitely an Oscar."

"How could they ever deny you?"

He smirked at her sarcasm. "Okay, now hurry up and get dressed. It's five forty-five..." He glanced at his watch. "now."

Beca's eyes bulged. "Are you serious! Shit!"

Chloe was dressed with her hair fixed as well as her makeup by six thirty, a half hour to kill. She sat on the couch with Stacie biting her lip, a nervous habit.

"Stop doing that before you draw blood," Stacie warned, eyes locked on the TV.

"Stacie, this is big," she gasped. "I'm totally nervous."

"Don't be. She likes you, right? She asked you out, saved you from having to grow a pair or get thrown out my window."

"Gee, thanks."

"Chloe, you're amazing, okay?" Now the brunette looked at her friend. "It's going to be fine. The date will be great."

"Speaking of date, I thought you had one tonight."

"Oh, I do, but not until eight. I pushed it back to be here."

"Since when do you go on dates? I thought it was 'bed it and forget it'?"

"I don't know. He's, this guy is different. He came into the parlor, and I swear I thought he was gay, haha. He was nice and caring and compassionate, respectful. I've never had someone look into my eyes when they speak to me, and we spoke a lot." "Oh, God, I need a picture of this. Stacie Conrad getting cheesy."

"Shut up." She tossed a throw pillow at the redhead who caught it giggling. "He's really nice though. He's got this goofy grin, and he loves movies. It's crazy. We watched three of them our first date, and it was amazing. He can sing too. It's like the voice of an angel. I really like him, a lot. This could truly be the difference."

"Who would have thought that we would both be thinking the same thing?"

"Telepathy."

The girls giggled just as they heard a knock on the door.

"Okay, I'll get the door, and you go do one last look over," Stacie directed.

Chloe nodded and scampered off down the hallway as Stacie rose to get the door. She straightened her own shirt, unsure of why, but did so anyway and opened the door. When she saw a short brunette standing there clad in black skinny jeans, a white v-neck and a red and white plaid shirt, she gasped.

"Beca?" she asked, eying the girl, who now looked up wide-eyed.

"Stacie?" she replied. "Did I-do I have the wrong place? Maybe I-I don't-"

Stacie giggled at her nervousness. "No, no, DJ, come on in. I'm your girl's best friend." She winked. "I can't believe we're dating best friends. This is crazy."

"Isn't though? I never expected this. Aren't you going out with the weirdo tonight?" She smirked as the taller girl swatted her arm.

"Be nice to him. He's adorable, and yes, we are set for eight, but I had to be here to help Chloe get dolled up. Nice choice by the way." she ran her fingers along the lapel of the shirt. "You guys match."

"Are you serious?" the smaller girl flushed a bright red, earning another giggle.

"Don't worry, it's cute. What's Jesse wearing? We'll match too."

"Maroon v-neck. He'll love the cliche cheesiness of it for sure."

"I'm sure he will. Wow, Chloe didn't tell me enough about you I guess. Just the fact that you're a hot, badass, sharpshooter." Another blush. "She should have mentioned DJ, and I would've been on the right track here."

Now Beca looked sheepish. "Uh, we-haven't actually discussed my occupation."

"What! How? You-"

"Well, I usually play that card first, trust me, but-Chloe's different. I wanted her to like me for me, you know. Ugh, Jesse's rubbing off on me with this cheesiness I swear."

"No, that's a very good answer, DJ, but don't worry. You're secret's safe with me for now. Knowing Chloe though, you won't have much longer to keep it. Besides, she really likes you. Of course she really loves the station your music's constantly on, and she bought a lot of your tracks. However, she doesn't stop talking about you, Beca Mitchell, like, ever."

"Thanks, that's makes me feel a lot better."

"Yeah, just promise me you'll take care of her, or I'll hunt you down with your own gun, understand?" sincerity blanketed her face instantly.

"Uh, same here?" Beca replied uneasily.

"Deal." She now smiled.

Before they could continue the conversation, they're eyes were drawn to a flash of red in the hall. Beca nearly lost her mandible when she saw the redhead there, radiating with stunning beauty, robbing her of breath. Chloe gave her a megawatt smile as she noticed the two were in fact matching. Beca couldn't fight the dopey grin now adorning her features. Stacie smiled at her friend.

"Beca, this is my best friend, Chloe, and Chloe, this is Jesse's best friend, Beca," she said to break the silence. "I just wanted to do that."

"Wait, you guys know each other?" Chloe asked.

"Y-yeah, Jesse's my best friend from elementary school years and my roommate, so we kind of met already. I thought I had the wrong place."

"Oh, yay! That means we can double date sometime." "Oh yay..."Beca grumbled, knowing that would now surely be much sooner than she fancied. "You ready to go then?" She offered her arm, and Chloe took it with a wide smile.

"Such a gentleman."

"Something like that."

Stacie walked down with them, assuring Beca she would surely be matching Jesse tonight, and they bid each other goodbye as they went to separate cars. Chloe gawked at the sleek black Lincoln MKZ sitting beside her older Honda as Beca approached it.

"This is beautiful," she breathed, running a finger gingerly over the vehicle.

"This-is my baby," Beca beamed, opening the passenger door for Chloe before rounding the vehicle and sliding into the driver seat.

"Beca, you don't work at the shooting range, and we've always talked extensively about my job, but-where do you work?" Well that came fast.

Beca laughed nervously as she brought the engine to life, and Chloe caught it.

"Oh God, Beca, are you a drug dealer? I'm sorry. I said all that bad stuff about them while we were shooting. It's just-so many live in here, and-"

Before Beca could put the car in reverse, she bursted into a fit of laughter, causing Chloe to stop mid-sentence and give her a concerned glance.

"What's so funny?!" she asked. "Oh, are you gonna kill me now? Are you like the Joker kind of villain because-"

"Chloe, listen to yourself!" Beca at last managed between laughs. "First of all, Survival Tip #1, if you ever truly think that about someone, get the hell out of the car before they do kill you!. Don't apologize while admitting you talked bad about them. Other than that, no, I'm not a drug dealer or killer or any of that."

"A-bookie?"

"Chloe, my love of firearms is completely independent of my career. Well, mostly."

"Oh, that's rather odd. Love for firearms? Why do you love guns?"

"Okay, slow down, Red. You're going to overload your brain there."

"Okay, so job. That's the important part. What do you do?"

Beca huffed. "Chloe, in the little time we've spent together, do you like me?" She could not believe she was initiating this conversation, but it had to be done.

"Uh, duh! I'm here, aren't I? Even when I thought you were a drug dealer, I stayed, and I don't even have my strap on me."

"Strap?" Beca chuckled.

"That's what they call it, right?" "Then let them call it that, not you." She pouted, so Beca went on. "Why do you like me, Chloe?"

"Because you're a badass." Beca snorted at that as well.

"Go on."

"Well, you shoot so well, but it isn't just that. It's-the way you are when you shoot. You're passionate about it, poised and confident. That day you beat Carter was incredible. Everyone respected you, but you were so humble about it all. Most people that just had such a big victory like that would have just been so cocky, but you still got nervous about asking me out. You shy away from attention a bit, and that's okay because you don't let your head get blown out of proportion even when you've earned all the praise. You're just-amazing. You're also a mystery though. I don't know much about you, and still you reel me in. There's so much too learn, and I know it's worth it because you're amazing."

Beca blushed at the explanation, and she smiled at the redhead. "Thanks, Chlo."

"Just being honest, but-uh, what's that have to do with your job?"

"Well, I-okay, despite everything you just said, this might sound a bit cocky and arrogant, ironically, but it happens a lot, so it's a real fear. I'm scared that when I tell girls what I am, they start to like me for reasons other than those meant to be liked for. They'll love what I am, not who I am."

"Hmm, cryptic. So...what?" Her face held confusion now, and Beca once again chuckled, holding her stomach.

"Have you ever heard of DJ Titanium B?"

"The DJ named after my lady jam? Hell yeah!"

"You're...what?"

"Way too early in the relationship for that explanation. Anyway, what about her? I mean, yeah she takes up half my iPod and all of my morning drives to work, but what does she...sweet Jesus, I must be as dense as a boulder. Titanium B. Beca!" Beca laughed even harder at the girl's conversation with herself. "Beca, you're a DJ, and not just any DJ, my favorite DJ!"

"Well, glad to be of service."

"Okay, so maybe I like you a little bit more but not because of the perks. You're music is beautiful. You mix so perfectly, and it's inspiring. I would not have survived my first week of school without you, and plus, your mashup of 'Just a Dream' and 'Just the Way You Are' was the first song my all-star choir girls actually worked well together on. It was magical. I'll have to video them when we have our first program next week."

"Is it not open to visitors or something?"

Chloe's eyes widened as she looked over at the brunette. "You-would you-wanna go and see us? Uh, them?"

Beca laughed for the millionth time at the girl's antics. "Yes, I'd like to go see both of you. When is it? I can work around it."

"Thursday night at six."

"What school is it?"

"McKinley Park."

"Ooh, you do work in the slums, huh?"

"Honestly, I feel like I'm in the remake of 'Freedom Writers' or 'Dangerous Minds' sometimes but in middle school. That's why I listen to Coolio so much."

"No way, you listen to Coolio! We're officially soul mates."

"Yeah, check it." She begins with some rather gangster hand motions."Yeah, 'What's goin' on in the kitchen, but I don't know what's cookin'. They say I gotta learn but nobody's here to teach me. If they can't understand then how can they reach mee! I guess they can't. I guess they won't. I guess they front. That's why I know my life is outta luck, foo'. That's just a little bit."

Beca nearly had to pull over she was laughing so hard, clutching her abdomen as her eyes watered. "We might just have to get you out of that 'hood, Beale."

At last, the women made it to the pier in one piece, and when Chloe saw the lights of the carnival, she was jumping up and down like a little girl. Beca grinned.

"How did you know I love carnivals!" she shrieked.

"Chicks dig carnivals," Beca returned coolly, taking Chloe's hand.

The women wound up on every ride possible, and just when Beca thought she was in the clear for the night, two brunettes ambushed them at the line for the ferris wheel. "Becawwww!" was the squawk that rang through her ears as Jesse and Stacie, matching as promised, shimmied into line with them.

"Jesse, what a pleasant surprise," she shot, words full of sarcasm.

"Is that any way to greet your bestest buddy?" he asked, his hand to his heart, feigning offense. "So since you already know Stacie, are you going to introduce me to her best friend?"

Chloe giggled as Beca sighed heavily. "Chloe, this is my nerdy best friend Jesse, and Jesse, this is Chloe."

"What? No nice compliment for my name?" Chloe pouted.

"Oh, don't worry," Jesse bellowed, a devilish grin on his face. "She gives you compliments all the time. Like Chloe, the goddess with the killer body and lousy aim."

Beca not so subtly kicked the man in the shin, and he yelped in pain.

"Beca!" Chloe gasped. "Is that what you think of me?"

"You can't say I'm lying."

"You-are-so-adorable!" Chloe kissed Beca's cheek, immediately turning them a deep red. "I'll let the 'lousy aim' slide this time."

"Still true," Beca murmured.

"Oh, there's a lot more where that came from," Jesse assured her, recovering from his injury. "But hey, Beca, remember when we were twelve, and we tried to-"

"Swanson, if you don't pipe-the-fuck down, I will use your movie shelf, namely a certain boxed set, for target practice."

Jesse gasped in mock surprise. "Okay, okay, easy there, humble assassin."

"So are we all going on the ferris wheel?" Stacie asked, aiming a pout at Jesse.

"Of course!" the boy replied, taking her hand and getting comfortable behind the redhead and his best friend. He leaned down next to Chloe's ear.

"She also said you have the most amazing set of-" He was unable to finish the sentence due to Beca's left hook into his stomach, knocking the air out of him. "I was-gonna say-ammo," he squeaked, doubling over.

"Beca, please stop beating my date," Stacie warned.

"Then gag him or something," Beca shot back.

"Oh, that comes later."

"Ugh, gross!" Chloe at last piped up.

"Hey, coming from the queen of turning all of my favorite songs into taboo when they end up in your 'lady jam' playlist!" Stacie shot back.

"Okay, what the hell is a lady jam?" Beca exploded impatiently.

"Well, let's put it this way, Becs, if you do your job right, she won't need them anymore. If not, well-Chloe's going to have carpal tunnel before she's thirty."

At that statement, realization hit and Beca ripped her hand from Chloe's, giving the redhead a mortified look. Chloe gasped then turned to glare at Stacie as Jesse burst into laughter.

"Beca, seriously?" Chloe deadpanned, now looking back at the fun-size brunette.

"What?" Beca retorted. "You-you-"

"I'm sure Jesse does to, and don't you still shake his hand."

"No, I-" She was cut off by Jesse's hand running down her face, and the instinct was a swift shot to his stomach once again. He retracted instantly, yelping once more.

"Don't do that, Jessie, Jesus!" she shouted.

"Wow, you have great reflexes," Stacie noted aloud. "You shoot great too. Are you like, Batman or something?" "Batman doesn't use guns," Beca mumbled, thoughtlessly taking Chloe's hand once more as the man running the ferris wheel gestured for them to get on the open seat. "See you guys around!"

After a disastrous fifteen minutes in line at the ferris wheel and a ride around that consisted of Jesse still yelling innuendos from his seat below them, more so when they were stopped at the top, Beca at last made it to the food court to relax with a funnel cake. Chloe indulged in a candy apple while Stacie and Jesse shared cotton candy. Jesse had finally come down off of his teasing after Stacie and Chloe had some sort of silent conversation with their eyes, and now Chloe was enjoying easy talk with her date. When they finished eating, the two couples walked around the place.

"Aww!" Chloe suddenly whined, looking over at one of the booths. "Look at that panda bear. I love panda bears!"

"She does," Stacie confirmed, a slightly annoyed look in place. "I on the other hand-love that big tiger!" Her eyes suddenly lit up.

Jesse and Beca shot one another a look and both wondered whose bright idea it was to come to a carnival. Without even taking note of the pouts on their dates' faces, they stepped up to the booth. Beca thanked the Lord above that the game was to shoot water into a clown's mouth and fill up a balloon.

"Oh, this is no fair," Jesse grunted. "with Top Gun over here."

Beca smirked, handing over a dollar to the booth manager. Before the game began, Chloe leaned over her shoulder, planting a sweet kiss onto her cheek that made her flush dramatically and nearly melt.

"Incentive," the taller girl husked before moving away.

"You're going down, Swanson," Beca then growled.

When the man at last handed Chloe the oversized panda bear, she jumped up and down with the biggest grin on her face, shrieking and earning glances from everyone in a hundred-foot radius.

"Happens all the time," Stacie assured Beca, still a bit bent about Jesse losing.

Beca smiled as Chloe ran to her and threw an arm around her neck, taking her in a bone-crushing hug. When they pulled apart, Chloe gave her a chaste kiss on her lips before skipping off towards the next booth.

"I think I like pandas too," Beca breathed, touching her lips. "Yeah, definitely do."


	5. Just a Dream the Way You are

_A/N: Thanks everyone for following and the reviews. Please continue with the feedback. It's very motivating, like I said. Feel free to give suggestions. Here's the next chapter. The last was one of my comedic works, but we get a little more serious from here to bring the story full in. Hope you enjoy! Oh and about the disclaimer thing, I OWN NOTHING_

CHAPTER 5

Beca focused her attention completely on Chloe's form as the redhead stood firmly in place, her finger hovering over the trigger. The shot went off, and a hole appeared in the shoulder of the paper target. It was the closest she had come today, and Beca smiled warmly as the redhead hit the safety and turned to look at the brunette with a pout in place.

"If anything, it'll disarm him," Beca said encouragingly as Chloe huffed.

"Why can't I hit him in the head?" she sighed.

"Are you aiming for his head?"

"Of course! It's just always off."

"You'll get it. Just keep adjusting the aim until it sits right." "Yeah, I know, but I've been at it two months now. Jeez." "You've made progress though. It takes a lot of patience, Chloe." "You do it so well though."

"It's not a competition, Babe, I want you to be just as safe as I am. Besides, I've been doing this for ten years now."

"Ten years? How old are you again?"

Beca chuckled. "Twenty."

"That guy was right about you being born with two pistols in your hand."

"What?"

"Nothing, so-you started when you were ten?"

"Yeah."

"Elaborate?" Chloe waved her hand in a go-on gesture.

"Come on, Chloe, it's your learning time."

"Well, can you go ahead and shoot a bit, so I can watch?"

Beca nodded then carefully took her pistol from her holster, pulling her earmuffs down more and positioning herself. Chloe studied her closely, trying to shake the sudden sadness at the fact the brunette was so closed off. She would peel back the layers in time she supposed. Beca focused on the target, her muscles taut, and Chloe nearly lost her own concentration due to the flex of her biceps. Then Chloe watched in awe as Beca turned her head slightly, eyes closed, and she shot. Perfect bullseye to the forehead.

"Okay, I said teach me not show off," Chloe jabbed.

Beca chuckled. "Sorry, okay, okay." The brunette continued to unload her clip with finesse, Chloe noting everything from the angle of her shoulders to the tilt of her head, the placement of every single finger and so on. The brunette was good, and Chloe wondered how or why. It would have to wait however because when she looked down at her watch, she realized how late it was.

"Oh, shit, Beca, we have to go!" she bellowed, jumping up and placing her pistol in her bag. "It's already five, and the show's at six. I should already be there."

Beca didn't waste a second, suddenly remembering once again that it was Thursday, the day of Chloe's program. Within minutes, they were in her car, deciding they would come back for Chloe's after, as she drove towards the school and the redhead changed into a dark burgundy skirt and matching blazer over a white shirt. Chloe then slid on her reading glasses and pulled on her heels. Beca looked over and smirked.

"What?" Chloe asked, shooting her a warning glare.

"There's a sexy school teacher in my car," Beca returned with a devilish laugh.

"Oh, shut up."

"Well, at least I have new dreams to look forward too."

Chloe smiled as well, fixing her blouse as well as her hair in the mirror overhead. When they reached the school, Chloe ushered Beca inside, pointing her to a seat in the front row of the auditorium before rushing backstage. Beca settled in amongst parents and other staff. Chloe was soon on stage as well when the clock struck six. She gave a small welcome speech, introducing herself and explaining what the children were doing tonight, a collection of songs put together by her and them. When the first group came on, the sixth graders, they were nervous, but their voices were soothing. Beca smiled as they began singing a Pink song, their voices getting stronger with every line. She tapped along to the beats until Chloe's all-stars, her main group consisting of half a dozen kids per grade, came onto the stage. There was no music now that came on, and Beca's eyes bulged when she realized that the beat to her mix was being created by nothing but the group's mouths. It was weird but enchanting, surprisingly filling although Beca could not see how without actual music. It was all there however; the synths, the bass, the percussion, it all meshed so well that Beca was in awe. The two girls who had the solos made her smile. The one singing the Bruno Mars cut was tall and slender with auburn hair that matched Chloe's while her counterpart singing the Nelly track was much shorter with dark eyes and flowing brown hair. She wondered what it would sound like if her and Chloe had sung it? Of course, no one knew that the background vocals in her mixes were her, but she felt inspired by this group of young children to let her voice ring. She then realized she had yet to hear the choir teacher herself hit a note or two, and now her curiosity was piqued.

When Chloe at last met Beca in the lobby where parents and children had gathered for snacks after the show, Chloe happily introduced her to the rest of the staff as her girlfriend Beca without so much as a flinch, and the brunette was completely okay with that. They had been out together every night since the carnival, and it was fitting. They at last exited the building, and Chloe was on an all new high from the performance. She turned to Beca once they were in the car.

"What did you think?" she asked eagerly, her ocean blue eyes glimmering.

Beca was quite for a long moment, going over the performance once more, Chloe watching her intently.

"That-was awesome!" the shorter girl at last gushed, her fist pumping in the air. "It was-wow, I never knew music could be anything like that, with-no music. That was-intense."

The way Beca's eyes twinkled when Chloe complimented her mixes was the way Chloe's eyes looked now, and it was a stunning sight.

"However, I am a tad bit disappointed," Beca suddenly admitted.

"What?" Chloe's face fell dramatically. "Why?"

"Because I-" She pointed to herself. "have not heard you-" Pointing to Chloe. "Sing at all yet, but hell, you're the choir teacher, which by the way, bravo. You got those little crooks in training to actually be presentable. Judging by the horror stories of your first week, it's a big difference. Like, who the hell steals golden star stickers in middle school? That is insane."

Chloe giggled. "You are adorable when you pay attention." "Which is code for all of the time."

"Something like that."

As Beca brought the engine to life, her phone rang. She sighed deeply before tugging it out of her pocket.

"Hey Serge," she grunted into the receiver, Chloe smoothing over her skirt. "Yeah...uh huh...wait, tonight?...I-no I-okay...yeah...okay, no problem, Serge."

She hung up and grunted once more.

"What's wrong?" Chloe asked as Beca pulled out.

"They need me down at the studio," she sighed. "Apparently, the artist we've been working with on his new project was given the wrong music for his new track, so I have to go down there and hand deliver the file from my drive. Therefore, I have to go home for my laptop, get it on a drive, and then drive down there and give it to the brat. He said not to e-mail it for fear of it being 'leaked'."

"Aw, do you want me to come with?"

"No, Babe, it's fine. It's already late, and you have work tomorrow. I don't know how long it'll take, but I promise I'll text you once I'm done, okay?"

"Yeah, and maybe you can come back and have a sleepover." Chloe wiggled her eyebrows as the brunette looked over to smirk at her.

"Ooh, the first sleepover. Nice. Well, if not tonight then definitely tomorrow."

"Sounds like a plan, homie." Beca shook her head. "One day, you're gonna let that slip to the wrong 'homie', Chlo. You seriously need to be careful."

"I do it for your benefit. I do have self-control, sweetie."

"Yeah, yeah, let's hope so."

The couple reached the shooting range once again, and Beca parked beside Chloe's car. Chloe pulled the shorter girl into her arms, capturing her lips in a slow and building kiss for a moment. When they parted, they shared a smile.

"Be safe, Red," Beca whispered, tip-toeing to kiss her forehead.

"Don't worry," Chloe hissed back. "I'm packin' heat."

"Definitely no more Coolio."

Chloe pouted, and Beca bit back a laugh before kissing the girl once more and opening the car door for her. Beca watched her exit the parking lot before getting into her car.

Chloe drove home singing to the radio, fantasizing about her favorite DJ. She had been over the moon about Beca coming to her first program for her kids, and when the DJ had praised it the way she had, she had never been more proud. The DJ was the queen of music critiques in her eyes, and she greatly appreciated the praise. She knew that regardless of their relations or the age of children, Beca would not be biased.

As she entered her apartment complex, she pulled into her usual spot, tucking her firearm into her purse and pulling out her keys. Beca had told her it was best to have the gun either in a holster or in her purse for now instead of in the case where its harder to get to and much more conspicuous, and Chloe had not taken the time to get a holster yet. She at last stepped out of the car, humming to herself, the moon concealed by the trees lining the high wall that surrounded the complex. She made her way towards the entrance door, but before she could enter the indoor apartments, someone grabbed her arm, making her jump.

"Hey, where are you going, gorgeous?" a raspy voice asked.

Chloe turned to find a tall burly man with short brown hair and a crooked smile. He was much older than her, and he smelled of alcohol and stale cigarettes. She cringed at the stench, attempting to pull away from his death grip to no avail. He didn't look homeless or anything. He actually looked pretty well off in dark designer jeans and a fresh red button up. Even his boots looked fresh out of the box. His eyes were a deep green, and Chloe instantly took him to be a criminal of some sort, well, judging by the gun now visible on his belt.

"Come on, now, come hang out with me," he grinned devilishly, pulling her away from the door and pinning her against the side wall. "Don't be shy. I don't bite."

"Still not a good enough reason to hang with a crook," Chloe bit back, instantly regretting it.

The man suddenly released her, but before she fell back, he slapped her across the face before grasping her arm again.

"Watch your mouth, bitch, before I rip your tongue from it."

Chloe changed her approach. "Wh-what do you want? Money? Is that it?"

"I just want some sweet company."

He began running his hands along her body roughly, cupping her chest and letting his tongue run the length of her neck, panting like a dog and making Chloe nauseous. She whimpered, thinking of going for the gun in her purse that was still dangling from her arm, but she knew she wouldn't be able to ready a shot quick enough. Going for his gun was easier but dumber. His hands roamed her body, and hot tears began to race down her cheeks. She prayed for help, for mercy, for something, anything, to happen right now, but she didn't know what. She was done. Aubrey and Stacie would kill her if he didn't when they found out, and all she wanted right now was to berate herself for not just going with Beca regardless of her initial refusal. She should have kept the gun in a holster. Why was she so stubborn? Why? Now she had met her match, and at least this time, she could vow to learn the lesson that everyone had been preaching to her since moving in if she survived. She couldn't help but feel that in that moment, she completely deserved her fate.


	6. White Knight

_A/N: Thanks everyone for following and the reviews. Please continue with the feedback. It's very motivating, like I said. Feel free to give suggestions. Sorry about the cliffhanger. It's just one of those things you learn in school that you have to do at least once each story haha but love the response. I was going to let it hang a bit longer, but I love you guys too much! Here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy! Oh and about the disclaimer thing, I OWN NOTHIN_G

CHAPTER 6

Chloe couldn't just let this happen. She had to fight. She pushed against the man, but he would not budge.

"Please," she squeaked. "Please don't do this."

"Come on, cutie," he breathed, his hands now sliding under the back of her skirt. "You play nice, I play nice, kinda. It's up to you if it hurts or not."

Chloe whimpered again, her hands firmly on his chest but unmoving as the tears blinded her, spilling over her cheeks. His hand found the bottom lining of her underwear. There was no fight here whatsoever. Her body grew wary, and she just wanted it to be over. She knew what she had to do. She had to let it happen and pray it was fast and that was all that would happen. She had to pray she survived the encounter. She had never had a boyfriend, much less slept with a boy, and she was terrified. She had no choice though. Oh, God, why hadn't she just gone with Beca?

"That's a nice sound," the man husked at the sound of Chloe's whimper, biting down on her pulse point, eliciting another yelp. "Yeah, that's really good. I-"

Before he got off another word, he let out a whoosh sound, the breath getting knocked out of him. He was knocked to the side with impeccable force, falling onto the ground with a thud.

"What the-" he groaned, touching his temple where blood now trickled from, but when he glanced up, he was staring down the barrel of a chrome pistol. Further up, he met steel blue eyes glaring at him.

"Get the fuck outta here now or you'll never leave," the savior growled, Chloe watching on in shock, her tears halting for a moment.

The man searched her face for any sign of faltering, and when he found none as she cocked the pistol, he stumbled to his feet and darted off. Beca lowered her weapon, safely storing it in her holster beneath her plaid shirt and turning to Chloe, taking her into her arms as the redhead began to cry again.

"Oh my God, Beca, I-I was so scared," she sobbed.

"I know, Chlo, I know, but I'm here now," Beca coaxed. "It's okay. I got you. Come on. You're coming with me. Let's go get you some clothes, and I'll drive you to work in the morning. What time do you go in?"

"I-think I want to call in tomorrow," she managed.

"That sounds reasonable. Come on. Let's go."

Beca stopped for ice cream once they left Chloe's, and she calmed down gradually. She checked the slight bruising on her girlfriend's face from where the culprit had slapped her, and she had her hold some ice to it as they left Chloe's apartment. Beca had Jesse meeting them at the studio with her laptop case because Serge was still set on getting the file tonight. When Chloe had finished her ice cream dish, she turned to Beca.

"Becs?" she croaked.

"Yeah?" Beca answered, her hand moving to rest over Chloe's.

"How-how did you-come back? Like, I was _really_, lucky."

"I-you left your phone on the seat, and I knew I couldn't let you be without it for that exact reason, if something happened."

Beca had sat in her car a moment after Chloe left the range, picturing the redhead once more and missing her already. She had smiled in spite of herself. She couldn't wait to get lost in those brilliant baby blues again, and as she looked over at the passenger seat, she found that she may not get to wait so long. Chloe's phone sat in the seat there, and the DJ couldn't let her be without communication for a night, especially in her neighborhood.

"Are you-do we-have to tell Stacie or anyone?" Her eyes widened at the thought of Stacie knowing because if Stacie knew, Aubrey would find out.

"I mean, we don't have to, but I'd feel better if they knew. If you weren't as freaked out as you were, I would have called the cops, had him arrested, broken the lease for you. I know now that I should've but, I don't know. That guy seemed, armed with street credibility, and he would probably have something up his sleeve. Just, I'll break that lease myself if I have to Chloe, but you're not staying there much longer, if at all."

"I get it. It's just-ugh, I went through so much to get the gun and the license, and I still couldn't defend myself. Wh-what if, you-hadn't come?" She was crying again.

"Hey." Beca squeezed her hand. "Don't think that way. I did come, and that's what matters. It's going to be okay now, and I guess I never really thought about it, but yeah, the gun isn't always the best answer. I'm gonna teach you some, self defense moves or something to help out."

"B-Becs, but why do you love guns so much?"

Beca gulped but thanked whoever watched over them that they had just pulled into the studio parking lot and not a second too late.

"We're here," she immediately announced, Chloe catching her avoidance but letting it go. "You wanna see the studio?"

"Well, I'm not staying out here," she replied, wiping her eyes.

"Sensible."

Beca stepped out of the car, rounding it to let Chloe out. Jesse awaited them in the lobby, Beca's laptop already set out on the desk. Beca's fingers quickly flitted across keys and the navigation pad, plugging in her flash drive and copying the file onto it. When done, Jesse slid the laptop back in its bag while Beca took Chloe back to the control room of one of the studios. Sergio, a dark-haired man with a thick beard and a stocky build, sat in front of the mixing board watching another younger brunette man in the booth going over his notebook. Beca stepped in, offering Sergio the drive.

"Ah, Becs, thank goodness," he breathed, taking the drive quickly. "You're a life-saver seriously." His voice lowered significantly. "This kid's a drama king."

Beca smirked at the man, patting his shoulder.

"No, problem, it's my job," she assured him. "When do you need me in?"

"Well, I just need some samples for the Rihanna song, but you can just drop that off when you're free anytime before next Friday." Chloe's jaw dropped at the mention of a famous artist's name but quickly recovered, remembering Beca's discomfort with being showy. "How does that sound?"

"That's good because I'm taking a trip this weekend."

"Oh, where?" "Vacation, Serge, nothing to worry yourself with."

"Very nice. You better be careful, kiddo. Oh, and who is this?"

"This is-my girlfriend, Chloe." Chloe beamed at the title instantly, all prior worry melting away as she shook the other gentleman's hand.

"Wow, girlfriend, huh?" Serge asked then he winked at the redhead. "You are one lucky girl, Chloe. Getting this one to tie down and offer titles is a talent in itself."

"Serge," Beca growled.

"Chill there, DJ, I'm sure she's aware, but trust this, Chloe. You have nothing to worry about. If she's introducing you to me this way, she's serious. You're surely the prettiest she's ever seen, right, Becs?"

"Can't argue with that, Serge." She smirked.

"Okay, kiddo, get outta here. Sorry to get you out here so late, but you're always so good at saving my ass, so I figured 'what the hell', ya know?"

"Yeah, a really bad habit. Good night, Serge."

"Good night, Becs, and say hi to your father for me. Good night, Chloe."

"Good night," Chloe replied back happily.

As Beca led Chloe back out to the lobby, Chloe smiled over at the brunette, never breaking eye contact.

"You're staring," the DJ huffed as they found Jesse outside the door.

"Am not," Chloe shot back, looking away.

"You coming to the animal house, eh, Chloe?" Jesse asked, handing his best friend her laptop bag. "Serious movie night tonight."

"Uh, yeah, I guess so," Chloe replied with a shy smile. "You guys have another roommate, right?"

Beca stopped in her tracks, eyes wide in realization. Fuck.

"Becs," Jesse groaned, seeing her panic instantly.

"Oh, sweet Jesus, I forgot!" Beca growled.

"What?" Chloe asked, confusion all over her face. "What's wrong? Should I be worried because I really don't like the look you have right now. Is she like paranoid or something? Oh my god, is she some sort of weapons dealer, or-"

"Okay, Chloe, hush! You make it sound a lot easier than it is. Okay, let me just warn you now. If you thought Jesse's jokes were annoying-"

"Which she didn't," Jesse chided but hushed when Beca shot him a death glare.

"Fat Amy is-"

"Well, that's rude, Beca!" Chloe immediately cut in angrily, and Jesse bit back a laugh, realizing what was about to happen as it had happened the same way when Jesse told Stacie about their roommate. "Is that how you talk about your friends behind their backs? What do you call me then, huh?"

"Crap-shot Chloe," Jesse mumbled, earning daggers from both girls now. "Sorry."

"No, no," Beca sighed. "She calls herself 'Fat Amy'. It's her choice, not mine."

"Uh, why?"

"Trust that she'll tell you. It's actually a good reason, trust me, but I just call her Amy unless it's an introduction or something more formal."

"Yeah, so formal."

"Just-don't pay attention much to what she says. Her Australian tales get to be a bit-ridiculous."

"She's Australian?"

"Yeah, is that a problem?"

"No, I just love meeting people from other countries."

"I'll ask you again in the morning."

Chloe swatted the girl. "Okay, well I'm exhausted, so let's go."

"Yes, ma'am."

Beca followed Jesse back to the house, and when they arrived, Beca took a deep breath before stepping out into the parking garage. She grabbed Chloe's bag from the backseat and helped the girl out then the three of them took an elevator up to the third floor. The buildings were quite large yet each only held four apartments. Chloe understood why the moment Jesse opened the door. The apartment was huge, two stories in fact, and very cozy. Chloe could not believe it. Compared to her drab apartment, this was a mansion. They walked into the kitchen.

"You guys hungry?" Jesse asked, fetching two beers and a bottle of wine from the fridge. " It's eleven thirty-six which means we still have time to order from Rosie's."

"Who's Rosie?" Chloe asked Beca.

"It's a restaurant on the next block," she explained, setting Chloe's bag in the living room. "They have the best lasagna in LA I swear. You like lasagna?"

"Love it."

"Yeah, Jess, order a few platters, and don't forget the breadsticks."

"Got it," he called back.

"Did someone say lasagna?" a voice boomed from the hallway, and seconds later, Amy appeared in a pink jumpsuit and sweating. "I'm starved. I just ran off my dinner."

"Hey, Amy," Beca greeted, trying to remain calm. "This is-"

"Ooh! The redhead goddess with the killer body and lousy aim!"

"Yeah, that one," Beca grumbled as the redhead shook Amy's hand with a chuckle and a glare at the brunette.

"Nice to finally meet you, and I'm Fat Amy."

"You call yourself, Fat Amy? Really?"

"Yeah, so twig bitches like you don't do it behind my back."

Chloe now gave Beca a pointed look. "Ironic."

"Told you it was a good reason," Beca said with a shrug as Jesse appeared after ordering dinner and handed her a beer. Amy was swift to swipe the bottle from him.

"Hey, Red, do you like Moscato?" the Aussie asked, taking two glasses from Jesse's grasp as well. "It's good stuff."

"So I've heard," Chloe said. "I'll try some."

"Great, because otherwise, you could settle for tap water. Turning down an offer of wine in Tasmania can get you thrown into an alligator pit for half an hour then a dingo pen for another half hour with only a spoon as a weapon."

"Really? That's-interesting."

"Yeah, I'm the best spoon fighter in Tasmania. With thumbs of course."

"Right." Chloe maintained her warm smile, and Beca smirked, impressed that her girlfriend hadn't run out the door yet.

"So...was that carnival last weekend a panty dropper or what?" Amy went on, wiggling her eyebrows as she handed Chloe her glass.

"Huh?" Chloe questioned.

"Ask Jesse," Beca shot back.

"Don't ask Jesse!" Jesse defended. "Her best friend is right there, Becs."

"Yes, I am right there, so stop acting as if I'm not," Chloe smirked. "Besides, she's my best friend not my daughter. She likes sex. I deal with it."

"Okay, definitely a panty dropper!" Jesse admitted instantly.

"Really? Even though I kicked your ass at the shooting booth, and you failed to get her that big fluffy tiger?"

"Yeah, even then." He replied curtly, sipping his beer.

"So, Chloe, a teacher huh?" Amy asked.

"Yeah, middle school choir," Chloe replied.

"Ooh, a singer. I knew it. This house never seems to welcome non-singers."

Chloe looked at Beca now. "Do you-sing?"

"Can a girl hide any special talents without you blabbing, Amy?" Beca snapped. "No, Chloe, I don't sing. Not well anyway."

"Secrets aren't in my nature," the blonde said nonchalantly. "If it's any consolation, I won't bother shooting down the lie you just told either."

"Okayyyy," Beca sighed. "Come on, Chlo, let's give you the grand tour before dinner gets here."

Chloe quickly jumped to her feet, eager to see the rest of the house. Beca took her through the three bedrooms, lingering in her room awhile before leading her up to the loft on the second floor, which had been transformed into their common studio. Chloe admired the character of Beca's cave. It was filled with album cover posters including the brunette's own projects she had worked on. There was a full wall with a shelf that had what had to be thousands of CDs and vinyl albums. There was a desk where Beca's laptop usually sat, and a mixing board housed with a bunch of other electronics Chloe couldn't quickly identified. Jesse's room had been full of high-tech equipment as well, but Beca's seemed to have a lot more character with colors and stickers here and there. Her bed was quite large considering she could probably fit in a shoebox, and her closet was a walk-in. Chloe couldn't even hide the fact that she was jealous. There were pairs upon pairs of Converse shoes along the floor of it, and darker colors were the theme of the entire wardrobe. Above the desk, there were hooks where various pairs of headphones hung, and Chloe was in awe. Beca chuckled as she reached out to touch just about everything but pulled back her hand at the last minute as if there was a electrocuting force field around the items. They at last made it upstairs where even more equipment was carefully placed in the studio, foam lining the walls and the closet at the back of the room converted into a sound booth with microphone intact.

"Jesus, Beca, why don't you guys just get a house?" Chloe asked in awe.

"Yeah, we are, soon as this lease is up in six months." Beca replied thoughtfully. "This was the place that Sergio set us up with when we first moved out here, so we had two years on it. We love it. It holds our first memories of the city, but with our careers taking off, we do either need a bigger place or separate households."

"Sergio, he's-really important to you, huh?"

Beca chuckled. "Yeah, he is. He, well, he found my mixes by accident in the beginning. I had uploaded some of them online, and he said that he was delirious one night, feeding off Ramen noodles and youtube, and he pulled up a video that Jesse helped me make for one of the mixes. It wasn't anything fancy, Jesse's idea of course with Amy in it as well, but Sergio saw it and loved the sound and look, Jesse's scripting of the skit at its closing. He had just opened up the studio, and his brother and him were working together opening a club on the Boulevard. He was up in Oregon three days before we graduated, and he wanted me to come out and work with him, spin at the club. He was impressed by Jesse's directing and writing skills as well, and he vowed to put in a good word for him. I told him that Amy, Jesse and I, though they sometimes drive me nuts, are a package deal, so he got us this place. He took care of us, looked out for us, didn't let us sign anything without a lawyer present. He met our parents, and they really grew to trust him. He became like our godfather. He had this place stocked with food the day we arrived, and he's responsible for the MKZ, Jesse's truck and Amy's damn Black Ops jeep. He had us moving fast. Jesse started working with a bunch of different people in the film industry, and now he scores and screen writes movies. Amy is a comedian. She just got her first big role in an indie movie, and you know me."

"Yes, I do. Thanks. For sharing that though. That's the most you've ever said at once." Beca sighed as Chloe smirked.

"Hey, Chlo, I don't want you to take it personal. I've always been really closed off since, well since I was younger."

"Don't worry, Beca, I'll be here waiting for everything you wish to share when you're ready, you know. I'm not going anywhere."

"You think that once you figure me out, you'll leave though? There won't be anything to look forward to anymore." Chloe now took her girlfriend's hands in hers in the center of the loft, denim blue meeting navy blue.

"Beca, that isn't true. After I know everything about you, I get to start knowing everything about us, as a whole. We'll still have adventures to hold us over."

Beca smiled, kissing Chloe softly. "A real charmer, Beale."

"It's in my genes." The redhead winked.

"Oh, and since you're playing hooky tomorrow, we're starting this little vacation early."

"Where are we going?" "It's a surprise."

"Oh, the anxiety."

"Come on, drama queen, I'm pretty sure I just heard the doorbell."

Beca chuckled, kissing her pouting girlfriend's cheek and leading her down the stairs. Beca could surely get used to this. It was truly surprising at how quickly the redhead had made herself cozy in the brunette's life, hurdling her walls and dodging her defense mechanisms with such grace. Sergio had been right. She was definitely serious introducing her as her girlfriend to a man she thought so highly of. This was serious, and for once, Beca was completely okay with that.


	7. Getaway

A/N: Thanks everyone for following. Please continue with the feedback. It surely cures writers block. Just let me know if you're still feeling it. Feel free to give suggestions. I OWN NOTHING

To Beca's delight, Chloe immediately fell back to sleep the moment they slid inside Jesse's truck, which Beca was borrowing for the weekend. She had decided to take Chloe over to the small cottage up in the mountains near a lake that her and Jesse had found on an adventure gone wrong within their first three months in LA. They had purchased it the day Beca was paid for her work with Kesha and Jesse was compensated for his big screenwriting project for Warner Brothers. It was much too small for them to live in full-time as well as too far from the city, but it was their little getaway in the forest where nature surrounded them and relieved them of the burden of cell phone service. Beca only hoped they didn't run into Jason Vorhees or anyone like that because it would surely be a bummer.

Beca listened to the radio, humming along with the music until the signal cut out. She then plugged in her iPod, keeping the volume low so as to not wake Chloe. The redhead was in a deep sleep, and Beca understood why. The girl had tossed and turned all night, whimpering at intervals when she would have a nightmare that Beca would have to shake her from. Beca planned to teach her a bit of the martial arts she knew this weekend as well as give her access to the outside shooting range the brunette had set up behind the lake house. She always felt more comfortable shooting outside, and she hoped that Chloe would to. She knew she had to help her in any way possible because although she had hidden it in order to be strong for Chloe, Beca had been terrified of what could have happened had Chloe not forgotten her phone. It had kept her up most of the night as well, a few nightmares here and there. It was then, as she looked over at the slumbering woman, that she realized she was truly falling for her. This was completely real, and she smiled to herself. Chloe was absolutely special.

Beca pulled into the lot surrounding the lake house, and she carried the bags inside before going back to wake a softly snoring Chloe. She admired the girl a moment, taking in her peaceful appearance, her red hair pulled back in a messy bun, small curls jutting out here and there. Beca pulled her phone out, quickly snapping a picture. When she was no longer able to take it, she gently shook Chloe until her big blue eyes fluttered open. She at first jumped a little, forgetting where she was, but when she saw Beca, she smiled lazily.

"Hey, sleeping beauty," Beca greeted with a grin. "Come on. We're here."

"We're-where?" Chloe asked, rubbing her eyes with her fists.

"Our weekend hideaway."

Chloe now looked up, taking in her surroundings and gasping at the quaint little cottage beside a glistening lake, the water taking on the appearance of freshly shined glass. The cottage was a wooden building with a white slanting roof and a cobblestone path that led up to the red door.

"Is this where Little Red Riding Hood's grandma lives?" the redhead hissed, complete seriousness crossing her features.

Beca chuckled. "Not anymore," she replied, taking Chloe's hand and helping her out of the truck carefully.

"You said Sleeping Beauty. This is more along the lines of Snow White." Now Chloe's face donned a mischievous smile, and Beca tensed up, knowing exactly what her girlfriend was thinking.

"Don't even say it, Beale," she warned, continuing up the stairs, dragging Chloe.

"Say what, babe." Feigned innocence dripped from her tone.

Beca just grunted as they entered the house. She stopped in the living room, allowing Chloe to take in her surroundings. She gasped at the cozy little den and kitchen area. She then looked at Beca, quickly wrapping her arms around her and pecking her on the lips. Beca now cracked a grin, and Chloe matched it.

"Baby," she breathed into the brunette's ear, Beca melting at the sound.

"Hm," she hummed, her eyes closed.

"Can-you- introduce me to the other six dwarves?"

Beca quickly pushed Chloe away, contentment now replaced by playful anger.

"You're gonna get it, Beale!" she growled.

Chloe was in a fit of hysterical laughter by now, so she couldn't even think to defend herself as Beca tackled her to the carpeted floor. The wind was knocked out of her, what was left at least, but still she couldn't stop laughing. Beca was now tickling her sides relentlessly, but she was far to out of breath to yell at her. Instead, she banged her fists on the brunette's forearms.

"Are you done with your low blows?" Beca asked as she paused. Wrong choice of words indefinitely as Chloe burst into impossibly harder laughter.

"Those-are the-only-blows I-reach you with!" More laughter.

"Let me know when you're finished being rude, so I can drown you in the lake," Beca deadpanned, standing up and removing her plaid shirt, placing it on the couch.

It took Chloe several minutes to pull herself together, and after puppy dog eyes and several kisses, Beca at last forgave her antics. Beca then gave Chloe a quick tour of the two bedrooms, the living area and the kitchen area. Jesse had taken it upon himself to stock the place with movies, and Beca had stopped for groceries on the way, so she returned to the truck to retrieve them. Chloe assisted her in putting everything away. It was enough for the weekend. As they began preparing some breakfast, Chloe told Beca about how she had met Stacie and about Aubrey being her other best friend.

"You cannot tell me you didn't have a crush on that girl at one point," Beca stated, giving her girlfriend a pointed look as she finished making hash browns.

"Okay, maybe a little one at first," Chloe replied, squinting her eyes then they snapped wide open. "Wait, why? Do you?"

"No, Babe." Beca chuckled. "She is hot though, I thought that when Jesse first took her to meet us, but then again, it had been a long time since I had actually looked at a woman. We were working on Cynthia Rose's new album when she came, and I was a workaholic. The epitome."

"Wait, what! You know Cynthia Rose! That explains the mad beats she has."

"Yeah, she's really talented."

"That's really cool. You are really talented. Have I told you that?"

"It never gets old if that's what you're implying." "Of course not, bighead."

"That's very mature of you, Chloe Beale. I'm impressed." "You're about to get an egg cracked on your head. Fair warning, Mitchell."

"Okay, no need for that."

The two women served themselves before settling down at the mahogany table to eat. They sat comfortably across from each other.

"So, last night, you didn't seem to enjoy movie night," Chloe stated thoughtfully. "Do you not like movies or something? If not, prepare for a rant."

"Don't even start, Red. I did at one point, but Jesse sort of ruined it," Beca replied. "Jesse used to make us watch like ten each weekend, all with the same predictable ending, and I just gave up on them. Now they make me sick. I mean, I still go see the movies Jesse works on and all because I help him with the writing sometimes. I turned him into the Hollywood king of plot twists, but all the others are just-ugh."

"Well then. I guess I'll just have to be more selective."

Beca smirked. "Don't set yourself up for disappointment, Beale."

"I'm actually both very determined and resourceful, sweetie, do NOT doubt me."

"Sure."

Beca stood, collecting their plates and rinsing them off in the sink.

"You ready for a swim?" Beca asked.

"Uh, Beca, it's fall," Chloe pointed out.

"Yeah, in Southern California. That's what's special about this lake though. The water's always warm, even in November."

"Are we gonna get genetically mutated or something?"

"Of course not. Trust me, I know. Amy tossed me in the last time we came."

"Well, it's not hard to pick up a hobbit for her I suppose."

Beca's eyes narrowed. "Watch it now, Beale. You need me."

"Oh, I need you? Since when?"

"Since we found that you have horrible aim." Beca smirked.

"Oh, hush. I'd never shot a gun in my life before then."

"And two months later, you're still..."

Beca was hit with the empty juice box carton in the face before finishing her words. She looked up in shock, but Chloe had already darted out of the kitchen. She quickly pursued. She ran outside where Chloe was already stripping down to her undergarments on the lake shore. Beca quickly dropped her sweats and t-shirt then darted towards the redhead. Chloe must have figured she was safe because she didn't hurry into the water after undressing. She stood looking over the water. By the time she heard the hasty footsteps behind her and turned around, it was too late. Beca's hands shot out, shoving Chloe into the crystal waters and completely submerging her. She emerged quickly, looking up in shock like a cat. Beca laughed uncontrollably, but Chloe's arm was long enough to reach up and grip her wrist, tugging her in so that she was also submerged after a somersault. When she surfaced, she gave Chloe an unimpressed look as the redhead giggled, pushing hair from the brunette's face.

"You're cute when you're wet," Chloe said, giggling.

"I'm sure you'd think so, perv," Beca retorted.

"Uh! You said it, not me."

Beca pouted, but Chloe quickly pulled the smaller woman into her arms, their lips colliding in a passionate kiss. Chloe wrapped her legs around the brunette's waist, causing her to smile into the redhead's lips. When they parted, their foreheads rested together. Beca realized that Chloe was clinging to her, keeping her balance. If she were to, I don't know, release the redhead, she would fall back into the water. So that's what she did. Chloe was instantly floundering around with her arms flailing in every direction, her legs releasing the brunette as the shorter woman laughed and swam away.

"Way to kill a moment, Babe!" Chloe called after her when she was stable.

"Really? I liked that ending," Beca smirked.

The women spent another few hours playing around in the lake until they were exhausted. They went in and took a shower, SEPARATE, then joined one another on the back porch at Beca's suggestion. She had Chloe bring her gun out as well, and when Chloe surveyed the backyard, she was once again in awe. There were targets set up along the clearing at different angles and distances. They were built with hay bales, the thick poster board attached to them with bullseye holes in the head and chest areas of the person's outline. The closest target was also the largest, set off a little ways to the left side of the porch. The targets looked fresh, minimal damage to them done. There was also a few foam dummies in various places, some with holes in them and others battered but not shot. Chloe looked over at Beca.

"What is this?" she breathed.

"It's where I became really good," Beca said nonchalantly. "After I started shooting at the range is when we found this place, and I had to set these up. Our first weekend staying here, I was out here all day. The sunburn told the tale the next week as well as Amy's bitching about gunshots, but it was okay. There's more variety here, so I took it upon myself to create this. The dummies over there are for shooting. The dummies over here are for martial arts."

"You know martial arts?"

"Yeah, my dad put me in tai kwon do when I was thirteen, and I loved it. I took karate when I was sixteen for the summer with Jesse and Amy."

"How do you fit all these surprises in that tiny body?"

"Oh, here we go again. Shut it, Beale, or I'll use you for dropkick practice."

"You would not."

"Anyway, we're going to start on the small target. Come on."

Chloe went through two clips with little damage to the target despite it only being about twenty yards away. Beca adjusted her a dozen times, but nothing seemed to change. The shot was always the same. Beca huffed in frustration as did Chloe.

"Sorry, Babe," Chloe puffed. "I just can't shoot."

"Okay," Beca breathed. "Look, let's try this. Instead of aiming, just shoot. Aim in the general direction of it then, close your eyes."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah, come on. Just try it. I'm running out of ideas here, babe."

"Okay."

Chloe squared up once more, stilling her hands and gripping her weapon firmly.

"Relax your shoulders," Beca whispered from right behind her, running her hands down the other girl's shoulders slowly before retracting. "Clear your mind. Don't think about it. Don't aim for the head. Just shoot. You have to defend me, Chloe, but you have to be strong. Cool, calm, collected." Beca's tone was so soft that it gradually relaxed her girlfriend. Chloe expelled a slow breath, taking in her surroundings by sound and feel. The breeze was cool against her neck, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. The forest surrounding them was quiet. She only heard Beca's steady breathing behind her. She took off the safety of her weapon in a swift motion, allowing her eyes to droop then finally close. The gun felt much lighter than ever before. It were almost as if it were part of her. Her finger ran along the length of the trigger before resting upon it. Then she pulled it. The shot rang out, soft in her mind, much softer than normal. Beca didn't move. In fact, she hadn't breathed since the safety had come off. Chloe slowly opened one eye then two. She stared intently at the target before her. At first, she saw nothing changed, but as her eyes focused, she saw the defined circular wound in the center of its forehead. She carefully engaged the safety as if the hole would disappear if she moved too quickly. When it didn't, she allowed the excitement to bubble a moment. When she heard Beca finally exhale, she jumped up and down squealing. She turned to see Beca smiling in both relief and pride.

"I did it!" she screamed. "I did it!"

"Yes, you did. Come here, you," Beca nodded, taking her girlfriend into her arms.

She kissed Chloe's forehead, straining to reach but succeeding.

"I'm so proud of you," Beca whispered sweetly.

That was all Chloe needed to hear. Her father had said it many times out of obligation. He had always been tough on her the way Aubrey's father had been tough on the blonde. They had been drilled to perfection, but never had her father's words carried so warmly to where they reached her soul the way Beca's did. It was a simple statement, but it meant the world to Chloe, embedding the moment into her mind forever. She couldn't put her finger on exactly what about the brunette had her, but there was something that had, in their short time knowing one another, completely engulfed Chloe's heart. She was head over heals for the shorter woman, and it made her heart swell like never before.

As the couple lay in bed that night, Chloe rested her head on the other woman's shoulder, their fingers intertwined and resting on the brunette's taut stomach. Chloe's finger loosely trailed patterns over the muscles there. She nuzzled her nose into the brunette's neck, taking in her sweet scent.

"Beca," she whispered.

"Hmm," the brunette hummed.

"I know you've been trying to avoid it, and if you tell me straight that you don't wanna talk about it, I'll drop it, but I wanna know why you love guns so much."

Beca took a deep breath, stroking Chloe's hair with the arm that was resting on her waist prior. She collected her thoughts. Chloe had never tried to avoid surrendering information to her. She was open and outspoken. Beca had not told anyone this story. Only Jesse knew it because he had been there. Even then, he didn't know everything, just the necessary details. He had helped her cope with the entire situation, and it was still hard to even think of it. She trusted Chloe though. Hell, she loved the girl really in this short time. She wanted to give the redhead a piece of her, though broken but still most important. She looked up at the ceiling, taking one more big breath before opening her mouth. Chloe's hand stilled, her fingers wrapping around the other girl's tightly in a comforting manner.

"Well, it's not really a love, but more like an obsession," she began, continuing to stroke the ginger curls beside her.

"When I was little, my dad was a cop. He was really good at his job, and he was moved up to detective when I was six. He worked a lot, and he had taught my mom to shoot a gun soon after that because he wanted her to be able to protect her and I when he was out working late nights. We lived in a good neighborhood, so that wasn't a problem. You see, Oregon isn't much known to be dangerous, but there was one guy my father put in prison for a really long time. Well, the guy's brother didn't take it lightly. He starting trailing my dad, watching him all of the time. He found where we lived, about my mom and I, where I went to school." Another deep breath.

"One night, when I was seven, there was giggling at the door. My mom figured it was my dad, but it wasn't. It was late, and I had woken up when I heard the sound. I usually woke up to see my dad to make sure he was okay and all. Well, I was putting my slippers on when I heard feet come down the hall. My mom was still in her study. She was a writer. She was still working, but the light was on, so that guy's brother went there first after picking the lock." Beca's eyes now watered viciously, blurring her vision but she kept her voice steady. "I stepped out into the hall, but when I looked in the study, I saw it wasn't my dad. It was a man, with a gun. He pointed it at my mom, and when my mom turned around, she didn't say anything. Her eyes got really big, but she couldn't move. I knew Mom had a gun like his, so I thought that she should have one too. I ran to her room. I wasn't supposed to know where it was, but I had seen her put it in her underwear drawer where I'd never look. She usually kept it in a safe in their room, but I remember that day, she had put it in there because we were in a hurry to get to m-my-music performance that night at school." Chloe gripped her hand tighter now, both girls' eyes spilling over with hot tears. "I-I went back, but now the man was closer, and my mom was crying. I-I didn't know what I was doing. I pointed it, and I pulled the trigger, b-but nothing happened. I-I was only seven, and-I didn't know what a safety was then. Then h-he shot her. H-he shot my mom, right there in front of me, and-I-I was messing with the gun, and-I pressed the button on it, and when I did, the gun went off. I-I guess my mom was already gone, and she was watching over me because the bullet hit him in his neck. I-I killed him, seven years old, and-I...My dad showed up when a neighbor called the cops. I was holding my mom's head, asking her to wake up, begging her. She-she wouldn't. He had shot her in the heart, and-she was gone." Beca breathed deeply, calming herself to end it out. "After that, we moved to another house. I didn't get in trouble or anything, but my dad was really, like, traumatized about the whole thing. He had no idea how I was able to kill that guy, but he knew my mom had something to do with it. When we moved, he started teaching me about guns, and I shot here and there, but it was when I turned ten and he bought me my own pistol that I started shooting a lot with him. We went to the shooting range each morning before school. I-I needed to, to feel safe again, to not stand there helpless again. If I would've known about the safety, I would've been able to save my mom."

"Beca, it wasn't your fault," Chloe crooned, looking up at her girlfriend when the girl stopped speaking, her eyes full of tears now. "You tried to stop it, and you were very brave. Your mom would be proud, but the thing is that you stayed strong for your dad. You're here now, and I know she is looking down so proud of you right now that you never gave up, that you showed no fear. Many kids don't turn out half as great as you after seeing something like that. You know, now that I think about it, I talk down on the actions of the children in my school, but I never stopped to ask what their story was. I'm going to do that now because who knows? That may be what it is. You did great for yourself, Beca, and you're so strong for going to our music program the other night, but you're more strong than anything for not allowing all of that to break you. You saved me. You did, and I-I love you, Beca."

Beca smiled through her tears, the words falling over her and giving her warm, inviting comfort. "I love you too, Chlo. You're right. I-I just always felt bad. My dad was so broken, but he was strong too. He didn't give up on me. He turned in his badge, went back to school and became a teacher. It's ironic now. I never saw myself being with a teacher, but I wasn't much of a good judge of character before, you know. I'm lucky."

"Not as lucky as me. No, no one is as lucky as me."

Beca kissed the top of the girl's head softly.

"Thanks, Chloe," she whispered.

"For what?" the redhead asked.

"For being you. For not allowing me to shut down. For letting me trust you."

"Thanks for trusting me. I'm not going anywhere, Beca, ever."

"Yeah, because I'll always be there to save your ass."

The two girls giggled before settling down, huddling closer as they drifted off into a most comfortable sleep. In that moment, Beca was at peace with her past. She didn't feel that she had let her mother down anymore. She had pulled through and made a life for herself instead of letting the incident run her. Sure, she had walls up. She was defensive and closed off, but it could have been so much worse. She thought back to Chloe's school kids as she drifted, deciding she wanted to know their story too and help Chloe help them where possible.

A/N: There you go! Please review this guys! The last chapter as well please or at least let me know if you're over it. I had a bit of block yesterday, but I'm better today so


	8. Tears to her Eyes

_A/N: Thanks everyone for following. Please continue with the feedback. It surely cures writers block. Just let me know if you're still feeling it. Feel free to give suggestions. I OWN NOTHING Here's the next chapter. We have good old Aubrey in on this one as she meets the 'alt girl'. _

Sunday morning came way too fast for Beca's and Chloe's liking, but they enjoyed it with a swim in the lake and some martial arts moves. Chloe had been really progressing with her kicks over the weekend, and Beca was impressed. Chloe blamed the intense cardio she had to do in college for the singing group.

"Why cardio?" Beca asked, thinking back to the day her and Amy had gone down to the new gym in their neighborhood and Amy had specifically told her trainer "Yeah, no, don't put me down for cardio."

"It was just Aubrey's thing," Chloe explained as they rested on the back porch. "She wanted us to be perfect, so we were whipped into shape for the best dancing possible. The choreography was never much, but she thought so."

"Judging by your many tales of your best friend, I'd say she's a direct descendent of Hitler or something."

Chloe playfully swatted her. "She's not that bad. She just hates losing."

"So you guys never lost then?"

"Oh no, we lost all of the time, but she hated it."

Beca chuckled. "That makes a lot of sense. Speaking of singing group though. Will you-please sing to me?"

"To you or for you?"

"Did I stutter, Red?"

"Okay, chill out there, Randy Jackson."

Chloe took a moment to think then she softly began to sing "Just the Way you are" the way the choir group had done. Beca's face now donned a cheek-splitting grin, watching the girl intently. Beca came in eventually with "Just a Dream", and she would swear to this very day that the sun became brighter as it came in for a closer look and the forest birds began to chirp along. The harmony was beautiful, their voices swirling in the air and creating a masterpiece. Beca's voice was strong and solid. Chloe's voice was soft and billowy, fluffy and warm. Their eyes locked as they sang to one another, their hands finding one another between them. When Chloe finished out the song, Beca's smile grew impossibly wider, and Chloe mimicked it.

"That was beautiful," the redhead breathed, kissing her girlfriend softly.

"Hell yeah, it was. We're gonna have to record it one of these days."

"You're kidding, right?"

"No, Chloe, I'm not kidding. Did you not hear it? It was perfect."

"Yeah, it-hey, wait a minute! You said you couldn't sing!"

"Nooo, I said I don't sing."

"Well, you still lied because you do! You sing great!"

"That's your opinion."

"Are you kidding me right now? You have got to be kidding me."

Beca chuckled. "Okay, okay, I believe you. Chill out before you bust a blood vessel or something. Jeez."

Chloe gave her a sweet smile, the anger instantly gone.

"I'm always right, and I always get what I want," she informed her in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Dully noted."

The trip back to LA was filled with a jam session of sorts with Beca's iPod on shuffle, and surprisingly, her and Chloe shared roughly the same taste in music. Chloe knew almost every song, and Beca was quite impressed. It was little things like that which had the two women falling helplessly for the other, and they were okay with it.

Chloe's nightmares had decreased dramatically from Thursday to Sunday, and Beca was glad that the vacation helped. What also helped was the fact that Chloe's aim had taken a big positive leap, and she was picking up the defensive moves very fast. When they arrived back in the city, they went to Chloe's apartment as Beca had insisted she stay with Chloe during the week. She would work while Chloe was out, and she would be there when Chloe came home. As they walked up to the building, she took in her surroundings, noticing all of the people hanging around and looking completely up to no good. Chloe immediately entered the kitchen while Beca locked the front door, setting her pistol in the side table drawer next to door. She set her laptop bag and her duffle bag in Chloe's bedroom before returning to the kitchen. Chloe was already on the phone ordering pizza, so the brunette settled at the kitchen island, twiddling her thumbs. Beca instantly noticed how uneasy her girlfriend had become since their arrival. They had stopped to purchase the redhead a holster on Beca's bill despite Chloe's debates, and Chloe had yet to remove the weapon. When she hung up the phone, she took notice of her girlfriend's earnest and concerned glare aimed at her.

"What?" she asked.

Beca stood with a sigh, pulling Chloe into her arms.

"Baby, ease up, okay?" she crooned, locking on brilliant blue eyes. "I'm here, and nothing can harm you. I can tell you're uncomfortable, and all you have to do is say the word. We can go back to my house."

"No, as long as you're here, I'll be okay," Chloe nodded confidently. "It's much too far of a drive, and I can't let them scare me off."

"You and your pride, Beale."

Chloe just smiled meekly, kissing Beca's nose softly.

"Thank you for caring," she hissed into the shorter girl's ear.

"No need to thank me," Beca replied. "It's your fault. You've made yourself much too precious to me to let anything happen to you."

"You know, if you keep saying things like that, your badass reputation is going to start to suffer."

"Nah, it stays within the walls of this apartment if you know what's good for you."

"What's good for me?"

Beca just smirked, pulling the girl down into a soft kiss. Just as the kiss deepened, there was a sharp knock on the door that caused Chloe to jump. Beca's neck snapped towards the disturbance.

"Stay right here," she muttered, making her way over to the door.

Picking up her gun, Beca grasped the doorknob. She looked outside through the peephole, but there was a hand covering the hole. She looked at Chloe, mouthing her to get her gun out. She then swiftly ripped the door open, pointing her gun at the intruder. What she didn't expect was a tall blonde woman with perfect posture standing there with pursed lips, and as she lowered her weapon, she also didn't expect this blonde to be just as jumpy in the threatening apartment complex. Beca was instantly on the ground clutching her hand to her face, pepper spray searing her eyeballs. She roared in pain.

"Who are you, and what are you doing in my best friend's house!" the blonde boomed, kicking Beca's weapon away from her hand.

Chloe was in a state of shock at the kitchen counter as Aubrey glared down at a yelping Beca, slamming the door behind her.

"What the hell, woman, are you crazy!" Beca barked.

"Am I crazy!" she retorted incredulously. "Sorry, I don't blow kisses when someone points a gun in my face. Who the hell are you?"

"Aubrey?" Chloe at last called out, holstering her pistol.

Both Aubrey and Beca froze, Aubrey looking over to where the redhead was.

"Chloe!" she huffed in relief, rushing over to her best friend. "Oh my gosh, are you okay? Was she holding you hostage? Are you-"

Chloe chuckled nervously. "No, Bree, that's Beca. My-my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend? I didn't know you had a girlfriend. I didn't even know you were dating. Why didn't you tell me you were dating?"

Beca was now standing slowly, and though she was still in pain, she could not miss the chance to leave her standing impression with sarcasm.

"Oh, Babe, you didn't tell me that your mother was coming to visit," the brunette deadpanned, walking towards the sink to wash out her eyes.

Bree scowled at the shorter girl as Chloe giggled. "Babe, this is my best friend, Aubrey, and Aubrey, this is my girlfriend, Beca. Sorry, we haven't talked in awhile."

"Oh, this is the Nazi descendent! That brings some clarity. I'm going to just voice my opinion and say I like best friend Stacie much better," Beca replied as she splashed water on her face.

"I apologize for macing you," Aubrey breathed calmly before her roar then broke the sound barrier, "BUT YOU HAD A GUN TO MY FACE!"

"I was lowering it!" Beca retorted, turning now with puffy and lazy red eyes. "Jesus, do you realize this complex is the criminal capital of LA! What possessed you to put your hand over the peephole!"

Now Aubrey looked sheepish. "I wanted to surprise Chloe."

"Oh! Yeah, wait," Chloe now said. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I had a few days off courtesy of Robert J. Posen, and he agreed that I should come visit."

"That's great, Bree!" Beca winced at the shrill sound. "I'll call Stacie right now, and let her know that you're here. I do have work tomorrow, but we can hang out tomorrow definitely, and Beca will be here to keep you company."

"Uh, why?" Aubrey now gave Beca a glare. "Don't you have a job or something?"

"I kinda work from home," Beca replied triumphantly.

"Sure, isn't that what they all say?"

"Aubrey, remember the mixes I always worked out too," Chloe chimed.

"Yeah, the ones you always tried to throw on the Bella's," the blonde returned, distaste evident in her tone.

"Yeah, the one that could've saved us from another-" Aubrey's glare was now on Chloe, so Chloe changed direction. "I mean, other than not using them for the Bellas, you liked them, didn't you?"

"There were a few that calmed me, yes."

Beca smirked, now understanding Chloe's line of questioned.

"You're welcome," the brunette now said slyly.

"Excuse me?" Aubrey asked.

"Aubrey, meet DJ Titanium B," Chloe proudly introduced.

Aubrey's eyes now locked on the shorter brunette, taking in every detail before she burst into hysterical laughter.

"You're kidding, right?" she cackled as Chloe and Beca gave her an unimpressed look. "She's a legal midget!"

"I'm also a legal firearms holder," Beca spat.

"She's adorable," Chloe defended to both her girlfriend's and best friend's chagrin. "Okay, she's a badass though."

"Wow, Chloe, how-never mind," Aubrey breathed.

"We met at the shooting range," Chloe answered anyway. "She taught me to shoot, and I actually hit the target now."

The atmosphere turned serious now. "Chloe, you really need get out of this place," Aubrey said with a sigh.

"Now, that we can agree on," Beca injected. "This place is the hotspot for every syndicate and gang in the neighborhood."

"She has a point, Chloe."

"Guys, can we not do this now?" the redhead whined.

As if on cue, the doorbell was rung again, and Beca went over. She could see it was a pizza guy, and she gave Aubrey a pointed look after backing away from the peephole before opening the door. She paid the man with a generous tip on top of it and retreated to the kitchen after locking the door. Chloe and Aubrey began catching up, Beca enjoying her food and listening to Chloe tell stories from their former years. Beca learned that the blonde and redhead had met when they were five, living next door to each other and going through school together. Beca found it nice, and it reminded her of Jesse and herself. Chloe told Aubrey about Jesse and Stacie as well, and Aubrey could not believe that the busty brunette was actually in a full-on relationship. She surely wanted to meet the fellow. It wasn't long because half an hour after Chloe texted Stacie, there was banging at the door that stopped abruptly and was followed by a light tap. Beca and Chloe rolled their eyes, knowing of Stacie's antics by Chloe's description of the last time she knocked. Beca still insisted on getting the door. She had already placed her weapon on the side table once more. She could see Stacie vibrating with excitement outside, Jesse at her side. Fat Amy, who most likely refused to stay back at the house, was standing with a bored look behind the couple holding another two pizza boxes. Beca huffed as she opened the door.

"Come on, Shawshank!" Amy huffed. "I'm starving."

"Well at least you brought more food," the short brunette mumbled, stepping aside to let the group in.

"Hey, Professor Red!" Amy greeted. "Oh, and who is this?" She now looked at Aubrey. "I was actually really excited about being the only blonde."

"Jesse and Amy, this is our other best friend Aubrey," Stacie squealed, enveloping the tall blonde in a bone-crushing hug. "She's a lawyer in Seattle."

"Oh, good, so if Shawshank here ever needs representation, which I'm sure she will, we already have a shark on our hands." Now Amy took in Beca's appearance, and her eyes bulged. "Whoa, wait. Shawshank, what happened to your eyes?"

"Hitler's surprise visit ended up with my pistol in her face and her pepper spray in mine," Beca grumbled, her eyebrows down.

"Hey, I was defending myself!" Aubrey defended. "Who knows what would happen if I had the wrong apartment."

"You should probably give Chloe a bottle of that. She would probably have better aim," Stacie suggested, earning a glare from the redhead.

"Hey, in her defense, she got really good this weekend," Beca piped up.

"Mmm hmm, and what did you bribe her with short stuff?" Amy hummed.

"Her smoking hot-" Another glare came from Chloe at Stacie's start. "Turntables?"

"Nice save, Babe," Jesse smirked.

"So, this is Jesse," Aubrey noted aloud. "You're the one that tamed our Stacie."

"In the process, yes," Jesse nodded, shaking the blonde's hand.

"And what do you two do for a living?" She looked over Jesse and Amy.

"I'm LA's class clown," Amy replied proudly.

"And I score and screen write movies," Jesse added.

"Wow, this is quite the impressive bunch that you two picked up," Aubrey nodded to Stacie and Chloe. "I trust that I can relax, but I'm going to say it anyway." She suddenly grabbed Beca and Jesse by the front of their shirts, pulling them in so that they were close enough to feel her hot breath on their faces. Beca could swear she saw flames behind her green eyes. "If you hurt either one of them, I. WILL. END. YOU."

The two brunettes nodded as their girlfriends giggled.

"Got it," Beca breathed out, her red eyes wide.

Aubrey then released them and nonchalantly opened up the box of pizza. Chloe giggled again, kissing Beca's temple as everyone began eating.

"So Aubrey, you live in Seattle?" Amy asked.

"Yeah," Aubrey replied. "Born and raised. Chloe and I grew up there. We met when we were five."

"Wow, that's a lot like Becs and I," Jesse agreed, and Beca nodded. "We met in second grade. She threw her chocolate milk at the local bully, so I shared mine with her."

"Yeah, and everything else after that is a winding history of cheesy movies and misdemeanors on my part," Beca sighed thoughtfully.

"Misdemeanors?" Aubrey repeated. "Should I be worried?"

"Oh not at all," Jesse was the one to reply. "She punched a guy in the face when he was picking on me. The pretty boy quarterback's parents would have pressed charges had he not been called a wimp by the entire school, so she got off with a few hours in a jail cell. Regardless, she's a real white knight."

"You never told us if you got yourself a bitch," Amy reminded her thoughtfully. "Or if they sprayed you with a hose."

"I wasn't there long enough to socialize, Amy."

"Yeah, sure, but anyway, then some girl was picking on me. Beca hit her so hard in gym with a dodgeball that the little bitch switched schools after letting her broken nose heal. Her parents tried filing charges too, but the cops were sure it was an accident, so after some police interrogation, she came home. Either way, it ended up in me calling myself Fat Amy so twig bitches don't do it behind my back."

"You-call yourself 'Fat Amy'?"

"Yes, ma'am for prior stated reasons."

"Interesting."

"We are the most interesting triple threat in the Golden State. I'd bet all of my boyfriends on it, and I'd even throw in my alligator wrestling medals to sweeten it."

"Alligator wrestling?"

"Jeez, do you Americans know nothing? It's a sacred art in Tasmania. We pride ourselves on it as much as our nationwide demonstrations of 'Fiddler on the Roof'."

"Sounds-demanding."

"Tell me about it."

The group continued to talk lightly, Amy giving Aubrey the rundown on life in Tasmania and tales of high school in Oregon with Jesse and Beca. It eventually was able to get Aubrey to genuinely laugh when she heard about the time she handcuffed Beca and Jesse together for four days. Her two friends groaned, assuring her it was wholly embarrassing on bathroom trips and sharing a bed, but Amy finally gave in to Beca's whining as Jesse was on the verge of tears and unhooked them. They had tried to get free many a times, but Amy was always one step ahead removing any and all tools at their disposal. Aubrey, Stacie and Chloe only laughed harder when they were advised it had only happened last summer, and Jesse's face was so red that Stacie was scared he might combust.

"You guys really couldn't find a solution?" Aubrey squealed incredulously.

"I was in a state of panic!" Beca barked defensively. "I had to meet with Madonna at the end of the week, and I was tied to this dork!"

"I was too busy holding my bladder," Jesse breathed. "I was afraid this little hobbit would cut it out if I asked to go to the bathroom. We were drunk the first night, so that was the worst. I-I had-she made me-"

"He had to pee in a bottle."

"Gross," Aubrey breathed.

"I'm pretty sure I had a urinary infection in the end," Jesse recalled sadly.

"Hey, it was better than waking up duct taped to the wall," Amy offered with a warning glare. "Next time, think twice before you down moonshine."

"You told us it was Tasmanian Vodka!" Jesse hollared, realization now donning on the two brunettes and settling them into shock.

"Hence the labels being stripped!" Amy now chuckled. "Anyway, I could have done so much worse had I unleashed the kracken."

"Yeah, I refuse to test you," Beca huffed.

After a few drinks following the hardy dinner, Beca noticed it was nine o' clock. Chloe, Aubrey and her bade the others good night before Chloe set Aubrey up in the second bedroom. As Chloe did so, she looked expectantly at Aubrey.

"What?" the blonde questioned.

"Well, what did you think of her?" Chloe hissed.

"She's-a bit too alternative for my taste, but-apart from those horrid ear monstrosities, she seems to care a lot about you, and you seem to have her wrapped around your little finger, so I suppose I approve."

"Wait, what do you mean? Wrapped around my finger?"

"Yes, Chloe, wrapped around your little finger. She put your plate away, refilled your glass, fluffed your throw pillow on the couch. Does she wipe your ass too?"

Chloe swatted the blonde. "Hush up. She's just sweet. She's a big softy beneath her badass image. Trust me. She's staying here because she feels the need to protect me."

"And she has every right too, Chlo. This place is a criminal hangout. I felt eyes ogling me all of the way up here. Thank God the sun was still up, or I may have been swept away to an abandoned building."

"Or asked how much it was for a show." The redhead giggled as Aubrey glared at her. "Kidding. Just a kid."

"For serious, Chloe, this place is dangerous."

"Yeah, I know." Chloe recalled her close call now, but shook it away so as not to make Aubrey suspicious. "We have to do something about this lease. You can stay with Beca 'til you find another place, can't you?"

"Well, I don't know. She lives pretty far, and I'd hate to drive the hour to work each day. It would be a real hassle."

"Well, we will surely talk about it tomorrow."

"Okay." Chloe hugged her friend once more then turned to leave but halted at the door. "Oh, and Aubrey?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for coming?"

Aubrey smiled warmly now. "Good night, Chlo."

"Good night, Bree."

Chloe closed the door behind her and found Beca at the desk in her bedroom working on her laptop. Her eyes were zoned in, her eyebrows meeting.

"What's going on, Babe?" Chloe asked, wrapping her arms around the brunette.

"Serge called and wanted me to send him a few sample mixes," she replied.

"Oh, really? Well, tell me quickly what you thought about Aubrey."

"Well, I guess she evolved from her dictator ancestors a bit."

Chloe bit her neck. "She isn't that bad."

"Yeah, she keeps it tight."

"Excuse me?"

"She's cool, I mean. Sorry, habit."

"Habit to check out my friends?"

"It's only been once. I couldn't check Aubrey out with pepper spray burning my eyeballs. I think I'm going blind."

"Well, Beca Ray Charles, you better start memorizing everything."

"HA. HA. HA. Very funny."

"I'm only joking."

"Oh yeah, before I forget. Don't make plans for Friday night either."

"Why?"

"I'm spinning at Serge's club, and you, m'lady, are accompanying me."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, and I will warn you. There will be cameras and reporters all over. I'm surprised they haven't caught us yet. I usually have a group tailing me, but I guess I've been pretty good about it. You know, the first time they followed me to the range, Matt came out shooting in the air." She chuckled. "When the cops came, everyone said it was inside. Nothing was going on, but those paparazzi booked it."

Chloe giggled. "Oh, very resourceful. I guess that means we're really taking the next step in our relationship if you're showing me to the world."

"That's a very accurate description of it. Yeah, let's go with that. Just keep that in mind when they start chasing us."

"You are worth the chase I suppose"

"What are you talking about? You didn't have to chase."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot you were totally easy."

"Watch it, Beale, or I'll show you just how hard I can be."

"Ooh, I didn't know you were capable. Is there an extra piece of equipment I'm not aware of in those jeans."

Beca blushed as her girlfriend smirked. "You're evil."

"You love me."

"What the hell, Chloe? I can't even argue with that. You play unfair."

"All's fair in love and war, sweetie."

Beca only grunted as Chloe's lips trailed down her neck. Her anger melted away instantly, and she had to restrain the smile playing on her lips. Suddenly, she gasped as Chloe firmly gripped her crotch.

"Wh-what the hell are you doing!" the brunette squeaked.

"Just checking," the redhead husked.

And with that followed by a wink, Chloe had retreated out into the hallway leaving Beca stunned and at a loss for what to do next.


	9. Clarity

_A/N: Thanks everyone for following. Please continue with the feedback. It surely cures writers block. Just let me know if you're still feeling it. Feel free to give suggestions. I OWN NOTHING Here's the next chapter. It's not my best, but I felt that this information had to be divulged. There's a bit of information, but this is more of an epiphany for Chloe than anything. It all leads up to a new view for our favorite redhead._

Aubrey sat at the kitchen table when Chloe entered the apartment after work Monday morning. Beca was putting the last touches on dinner, and Chloe smiled. She could get used to having the superstar DJ so domesticated in her own home. Beca turned and smiled warmly at her girlfriend.

"So we've been talking about this lease all day," Aubrey immediately huffed.

"Oh, my day was great!" Chloe replied overly enthusiastic. "Thanks for asking!"

Beca gave Aubrey a warning look as she placed the plates of food on the table. She sat at the head as Chloe sat across from the blonde.

"How was your day, Babe?" Beca asked, shooting another glance at Aubrey.

"It was good," she replied. "Remember I said I wanted to learn about the kids? I issued a project today where they have to pick a song that summed up their story and bring it to me tomorrow. We'll see how it goes tomorrow."

"That's really creative. You're so smart."

"You're so whipped," Aubrey mumbled.

"Excuse me?" Beca shot.

"Is this how you two have been all day?" Chloe asked.

"Actually, no," Beca replied. "I took the Nazi here out for lunch with Jesse and Stacie then she accompanied me over to the studio to drop off some samples with Serge and schedule some appointments."

"Aw, you're so sweet! Isn't she sweet, Bree?"

"No," both girls grunted.

Chloe scoffed but let it go. "So, how did it go?"

"It went well. We talked mostly about your lease that Aubrey wants to take to court. You know, the usual."

"Oh goodness. Bree-"

"Chloe, don't start with me," Aubrey growled. "We need to do something about this lease. I got a copy of it, and it's pretty makeshift like they just typed up random things and threw it on paper."

"Well, what do you want me to do, Bree?"

"Well, I scheduled an appointment with your landlord for tomorrow afternoon. After I explained to my father what I wanted to do, he agreed to extend my trip to Sunday, so I can help you out. Even my father cares that much about you that he will gladly lend the hand. He said if he needs to send his best down here, he will. He also has some favors in the area he can call in."

"You're serious."

"Dixie Chick Serious, Chlo. You aren't safe here, and I will never forgive myself if something happens to you."

"She's right, babe," Beca sighed. "I can't be here all the time."  
"I know, but-"

"No buts. You and I will go this weekend to find another place, and everything will be fine. We'll put you somewhere not too far from work, I promise."

"As a matter of fact, why don't you ask other teachers?" Aubrey inquired. "They can't all live in a place like this. Someone has to have a convenient location in mind."

"Okay," Chloe breathed, taking a bite of her pasta. "I can do that."

Aubrey smiled, satisfied at the conversation, and began eating her meal. She stopped abruptly mid-chew and looked at Beca, who was already half done with her serving and looking content.

"Wow," Aubrey said, surprise on her face. "The hobbit can cook."

"I told you not to doubt me, green giant," Beca replied.

"Green giant?" Chloe inquired, looking between the two.

Aubrey growled, and Beca could not help but burst into laughter.

"We, uh, went to the studio, like I said," Beca began after controlling herself. "And Usher was sitting there with Serge, and Aubrey nearly puked when he said hi to her. So then I heard the thorough story about pukegate, and I realized how green she was before we left. Since she likes to remind me of our height difference, I went along with my own spin you know."

"Yeah," Aubrey huffed, regaining composure for her next shot. "I wasn't even sure you could reach the stove."

"Hence, the stool." Beca deadpanned. "I don't know why they put those knobs so far back. I swear it's insulting."

"Because the majority of the population can reach it."

"The majority of the population is straight too, and sex shops still sell strap-ons. Why can't they sell shorter stoves."

It was Chloe's turn to burst in laughter as she watched the banter between her best friend and girlfriend, Aubrey's eyes glinting with annoyance while Beca's features were a mixture of nonchalance and determination. She was a bit apprehensive, but it was not as hostile as she expected, and she felt really comfortable with them. They both cared about her greatly, putting her before any prior engagements and judgements, and she was grateful. She wasn't even all that jealous that she missed meeting Usher.

Beca returned from the studio just as Aubrey and Chloe walked in from their meeting with the landlord. Chloe looked defeated whereas Aubrey had the look of infuriated determination etched in her features.

"They said they would hire more security, but we didn't have a good enough basis to break the lease," Chloe sighed as she fell into Beca's embrace. "They said all places have their share of trouble, but with no evidence to back me, I had nothing. Aubrey's going to the police station tomorrow to get a copy of the police reports on the shootings, mainly the one next door, so we'll hope that helps. Either way, it's going to be awhile."

"I think we can hold out awhile," Beca soothed her, rubbing her back softly. "It'll be okay, Red. I'll be here."

"I know."

The couple kissed softly as Aubrey went through the leasing agreement again on the coffee table. Beca sat down with her, watching her go through and highlight several things while Chloe ordered Chinese takeout at Beca's request earlier that day. Stacie and Jesse were coming over for movie night as well, and Amy was coming along. It was about six o'clock when there was a bang on the door. Beca stood abruptly, walking over and looking through the peephole. She saw a worried Stacie, a very angry Jesse and a sullen Amy. She opened the door quickly, and Jesse stormed in.

"What the hell happened?" Beca asked, Chloe coming in from the kitchen.

"Some guy whistled at me and threw a bottle at the truck when I ignored him," Stacie said softly as Jesse shut himself in the bathroom. "He threatened Jesse, and Jesse was about to start fighting with him, but Amy and I pulled him in here. There were a lot of guys, and who knew if they would all jump in."

"Seriously?" Aubrey shrieked. "Let me write that down. Did you guys see any security down there?"

Stacie scoffed. "Not one."

"So much for that. That landlord has another thing coming to him."

Stacie watched the door worriedly, and Beca patted her shoulder before going over it when Chloe replayed their meeting with the landlord for her brunette best friend and Amy. She knocked softly, and the grunt she received was enough for her to open the door. Jesse was leaned over the sink, taking deep breaths.

"Hey, J, are you okay?" she asked.

"That guy was a fuckin' creep," he grunted. "He could've hurt someone!"

"Yeah, I know. I hate having Chloe in this place, and Aubrey's trying to break this lease. We should've just gone to our place."

"No, Becs, I understand. Chloe works in the morning, so this is convenient. Stacie doesn't work tomorrow, so we had no trouble. I just hope Aubrey can break this lease as soon as possible. There's no need for Chloe staying here."

"I know, buddy, but thanks for not getting yourself killed. That would be a bummer, ya know."

He smirked. "Told you I'm irreplaceable."

"On second thought, the least the guy could do was let some air out of that big head of yours. Hmm."

He pushed her shoulder gently before they returned to the living room. Stacie gave Jesse a tight hug.

"Thanks, Babe," she whispered to him. "It was brave and all, and I know you can protect me, but I just didn't want you getting hurt."

"I know," he sighed. "Sorry for getting so worked up."

"Hey, at least he didn't scratch the truck or anything," Amy at last injected. "I really would have released the kracken. I've boxed kangaroos bigger than that goon."

The room laughed brightly at Amy's remark, and all seemed to calm. The food arrived shortly after while Jesse popped in "The Vow" with a scoff from Beca. They settled in, Beca and Chloe cuddled up on the couch beside Aubrey, Jesse and Stacie sitting in front of them at the coffee table and Amy in the recliner. Chloe was a bit fidgety, and it was surely uncharacteristic of the bubbly redhead. She kept as close as possible to her girlfriend, and Beca said nothing about it. Instead, she pulled Chloe into her arms the moment their food was gone. Chloe was now nestled into her side, Beca's arm slung around her shoulders and her head on the brunette's chest. Beca couldn't always be there, but when she was, Chloe was at ease.

It was nearly eight o'clock when a booming sound froze the entire room. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Three gunshots. Three, and they were so close that the group could feel the vibrations of the sounds. Beca and Aubrey looked at one another.

"Call the cops," Beca urged, and Aubrey quickly pulled out her phone.

Just as Beca stood, the doorknob of the front door began to jiggle. She was at it in a flash, grabbing her pistol from the side table. She didn't get a chance to peer out before the firing began back and forth right outside the door.

"Get on the ground!" Beca hissed as she slid down the door, and all obeyed.

They all crawled into the bathroom, and Aubrey talked to the dispatcher as calmly as possible. Beca knew that someone was looking for a safe haven in one of the apartments; hence, the jiggle of the doorknob. She gripped her pistol as a stray bullet flew through the front wall, leaving a nice sized hole. Aubrey at last hung up the phone, and Beca pulled Chloe into her embrace as the redhead shook with fear. Amy sat right in front of the bathroom door in the corner where wall met the sink. At last, the shooting faded as screaming and yelling replaced it then hurried steps on the floor. Beca stood first, hustling to the door and looking out the peephole. The hallway was empty. She sighed relief. She opened the door, her hand gripping the pistol still dangling behind her, and checked the full extent of hallway before beckoning the others into the living room.

The police showed up an hour later, and Beca was far from satisfied with response time. She chewed the first officer out as he looked around with a look of boredom. When it was evident they weren't going to get anywhere, Beca allowed Aubrey to take over. Her paralegal status didn't scare them one bit. To them, she was still another law student looking to break big before they finished their master's degree, and they waved her off. They left twenty minutes after arrival, leaving Jesse, Aubrey and Beca in a very bitter mood. Chloe massaged her girlfriend's shoulders in an attempt to calm her, and when Beca at last relaxed, she kissed her temple.

"Thanks for being so brave," she whispered.

"That's the thing though, Chlo," she huffed. "I shouldn't have to be brave, and neither should you. We're getting you out of this apartment before December, and if that means paying their stupid penalty, it shall be done."

The group found stress relief the following night when Amy invited them to her gig at a local comedy club in West hollywood. Beca and Jesse sported some fresh new suits and purchased the girls new cocktail dresses. Beca even forced Aubrey to pick one she liked, and they went out for a night of fun and relaxation from the slums that was Chloe neighborhood.

Amy was up on stage cracking jokes about her formative years with Beca and Jesse, and Beca was approached here and there by fans for autographs. She politely signed, making some small talk before being left to her meal. Chloe smiled at her adoringly. It was when they left the club that the cameras began flashing, and though Beca had hoped this would be avoided until Friday, she figured camera flashes were much better than bullet holes. On the other hand, Chloe began to consider the dangers of fame. After all, assassinations happened all of the time. She figured she was overreacting however, and she shook the thought from her mind. Beca was a DJ. Who could she possibly insult to the point of intent to kill?

Aubrey had scheduled yet another meeting with the landlord for Thursday morning, Beca being present as well, to show him police reports and the nice bullet hole left in Chloe's wall. It was this that had Beca fuming the moment the landlord came in the next morning and just shrugged when he saw the damage.

"That's all you have to say?" Beca screeched. "My girlfriend and my friends could have been killed, and all you can do is shrug? It isn't like the police response was adequate either, and so much for you upping security because there was not one guard in sight last night. I want you to drop this lease."

"We can't do that," the man replied, annoyed at the outburst.

"You can't do that? Do you know who I am?" Beca wasn't one to play that annoyingly arrogant card, but she was long out of her mind right now. "I could buy out this entire complex and put you out on your ass, dammit! You're pathetic making money off the scum you let run through here! I will not have my girlfriend subject to that sort of danger, so I suggest you make it easy on yourself and . ."

" . ." the man replied in a mimicking tone.

"Then we'll see you in court," Aubrey said curtly before Beca could explode.

"See you."

And he left. Just like that. Beca nearly went after him, but she stilled herself. Aubrey couldn't help but smile as she observed the short brunette. Aubrey had been there for each one of Chloe's relationships, even the forced relationships with boys in high school, but no one had ever showed such concern for the redhead's well being. Of course, Chloe had never been in such a predicament as this, but hey, all the more reason to realize Beca's intentions. There were partners that didn't even care when Chloe had her wisdom teeth pulled. It made the blonde's heart swell that the badass all star DJ had a soft spot for her best friend. She of course wasn't ready to say that out loud, but she couldn't deny it either.

Aubrey accompanied Chloe and Beca after Chloe got out of work to the shooting range. She watched as Chloe shot, hitting her target with a bit of warming up and some aide from the DJ. She couldn't believe how natural Beca's bullseye was either, hitting the head and chest with each shot, a shot that would surely get the job done. She wasn't all for the big red earmuffs forced on her ears or the sound of the shots themselves, but she could see the passion in Beca's stance, and if there was anything Aubrey Elizabeth Posen could respect, it was passion. It was the passion in Beca's shot but also the passion in the way she spoke to and about Chloe that solidified her acceptance of the brunette.

"You're getting it, Babe," Beca urged the redhead as she shot.

"Ugh!" the redhead grunted when he last shot hit outside the outline. "I'm going backwards with this, I swear!"

"You're stressing too much. Remember how you hit it in the first place? You didn't think. Now you're thinking too much. Just let it happen."

"You want me to bet your life on just letting it happen?"

"No, Baby." Beca now cupped Chloe's cheek. "I want you to believe in yourself and trust that what happens is for the best. Think about it. I bet my life on it, remember? The first time I ever shot a gun, and it worked out."

"You're so brave."

"So are you. You took the initiative. You could have decided to be the helpless damsel in distress. No, my lady is a killer."

The trio now laughed. Aubrey's interest was piqued at mentioned of this story on Beca's first shot, but she decided to ask about it later. Still, she admired fully the relationship before her.

After the range, the trio went out for dinner before accompanying Beca to the studio for a bit. She had to get the samples to Serge for her Rihanna collaboration as well as work out some scheduling conflicts. Chloe had parent/teacher conferences the following day, so she didn't go into work until noon. They followed Beca into the studio, and the best friends watched as Beca transformed into her business mode. She greeted her assistant, Lily, a small Asian girl that spoke at almost a whisper, then led the girls down into the studio. Serge sat at the mixing board in one of the control rooms, and he greeted Beca with a hug and a warm smile.

"Hey, kid!" exclaimed. "What do you got for me?"

"Samples for Rihanna," she replied, handing him a flash drive as Aubrey's eyes widened and Chloe smiled like a proud girlfriend.

"Okay, nice. Lily's working on the schedule with Usher. He had to fly back to Atlanta for a stunt, but we do have Kelly here Monday. She wants to go over some concepts for production."  
"You're a producer too?" Aubrey blurted.

Beca nodded, turning to her. "Oh, Aubrey, this is Serge the Godfather, and Serge the Godfather, this is Aubrey Posen, lawyer and-"

"Oh, what did you do this time, fun size?" he asked, his face falling.

"Will you let me finish, old man? She isn't _my _lawyer...yet. She's Chloe's best friend from Seattle."

Serge regained a smile as he shook the blonde's hand.

"Oh, so it's getting pretty serious," he smirked. "Meeting the best friends in the judicial system, are we?"

"I guess you can say that," Beca replied, her own smirk in place. "So Lily's handling the scheduling then?"

"Yeah, oh and Cynthia said to put her on Friday's guest list, so I did that. She wants to meet with you about her next album."

"Cynthia Rose!" Aubrey blurted once more, earning a nod again and a chuckle.

"You really need to stop doing that to this girl," Serge deadpanned. "Did she faint the other day because that sure did look like the outcome."

"Nah," Beca drawled. "She was just a bit nauseous. That's how she gets when she's nervous apparently, but I'll save you the tale." Aubrey scowled at her.

"Good, I just ate." Chloe giggled at Aubrey's discomfort. "So, what we need to get into is who you want for this next album. The first one went multi-platinum, Becs. We need to follow up with something much more fierce. The questions is-how the hell do we follow up Adele and JT?"

Now, even Chloe's jaw hit the floor. "Hmm, I was thinking somewhere along the lines of maybe...Maroon 5? Ne-Yo? Alicia Keys has been offering for awhile."

"Becs, you should totally sing your own songs!" Chloe now piped up.

"What?"

"Yeah, you know you can sing."

"You can sing, kid? You've been holding out on me?" Serge asked going along with it, a surprise on his face for a moment before the smirk returned.

"I haven't been holding out on-"

"Yes, you have!" Chloe insisted. "She has."

He chuckled. "Red, I've been trying to bring her vocals to the forefront since the beginning. She'll do backup, but she refuses to shine. I mean, come on. The kid has skill. Her debut album came out before she turned twenty in February, and it went three times platinum. I think she deserves a bit more credit, but she won't take it. "

"Oh, but you have me now," Chloe replied devilishly. "I _always_ get my way."

_FUCK_. "Uh oh, Becs, you're in for it now."

"Thank you for the forecast, Dr. Obvious," the brunette deadpanned.

Even then, she knew that the redhead was right, and she was never going to hear the end of it, but she would save that internal debate for another day when they weren't on their way back to the dreaded apartment complex. Chloe however kept a mischievous glint to her eyes as Aubrey asked about Beca's career, taking in her acceptance of five grammy's already, her multi-platinum album and a hand in many of the most prestigious project of the last year. Beca could feel those brilliant blue eyes on her, plotting and scheming. She ignored them for now, wondering if Chloe could really change her mind on the singing aspect. Hey, if Chloe Beale was anything, it was determined. Beca wasn't much for the spotlight however, and she would rather be behind the scenes. Obviously she could still gain the same success as any artist with her role, but as she thought back to the day she sung with Chloe, she had to admit it did feel quite exhilarating.

As the three sprawled out in the living room, Chloe turned on the TV. She lay on the floor beside the couch, Aubrey on the recliner and Beca on the couch with a cold beer in hand. She was reading through her e-mails on her phone as Aubrey's eyes latched onto the TV tiredly. The news was on, talking about a murder that had occurred that evening. She watched for a minute, not really wanting to indulge in that sort of thing, but just as she was about to change it, a picture of the victim flashed onto the screen. Beca looked up as the remote fell from Chloe's hand with a crash and nearly choked on her beer. Beca was up now, trying to expel the liquid from her throat with a fit of coughing and pounding on her chest. Chloe jolted into a sitting position.

"For serious, what is wrong with you two?" Aubrey asked now as Chloe's eyes watered. "Chloe?"

"It-he-it-" But Chloe's words failed her.

"He was in her group!" Beca at last burst, her face red. "The choir group. That's one of her students. I saw him at the program. He did the bass notes for the seventh graders, and he sang Maroon 5's 'Love Somebody'."

"Todd McNeil," Chloe at last breathed, the tears streaming down her face.

After a long silence from Aubrey and Beca with Beca embracing her girlfriend, Chloe's sobs became sniffles until she fell into silence as well.

"You know what song he chose for our project?" She asked rhetorically, nuzzling her nose into Beca's neck. "He chose 'Keep Ya Head Up' by Tupac. When I asked him why, he couldn't answer me in front of everyone, but after class, he came to me. He said his big brother was a bad guy. He had a gun, and he had a lot of weird people over. He said his mom left one night and never came back, and he never knew his dad. His big brother, I-I think he had Todd selling drugs. He wouldn't tell me straight, but he was so scared to say anything, like-he expected his brother to hear or something. He said that song told him what to do, exactly that, keep his head up because things-they w-would get better."

"Well, I'll tell you this, Babe," Beca softly breathed. "I'm sure he's not the only one. You may be the only one to hear those kids out, and you have to do that. Let them express themselves, and if you can dig deep into their minds along the way, the better for all of you. They deserve someone to listen." Beca deliberated a moment. "How about the next project, they write a poem.? I'm sure those kids know him well, and maybe it will be nice for them to be able to express the pain and understanding of the situation."

"Yeah, you're right. I'm just-I'm so scared because here I was putting myself in this situation out of stubborn convenience, and those kids didn't have another choice."

"I know that, but we're gonna get you out. We'll help you, and you help them, okay? I'll help as much as I can."

Chloe's eyes were opened that night, the week in its entirety bearing down on her and somehow using its pressure to give her clarity. She felt that all of this had happened for a reason, to lead her to find her purpose in life. Had she not ever moved into the complex or met Beca and heard the woman's story, she may have always looked at her students in the minimal light. She would have just done her job like a good teacher, making them sing chart topping hits with synchronized dancing. She may have never realized that these children who people looked upon as the scum of the earth, tomorrow's criminals, had a story no one had ever cared to read, a story that explained their actions and behaviors. They had situations they had never asked for, and though Todd had told her the minimal of his story, she had not been able to help him. She had left that day completely forgetting about the boy until his face flashed across her TV screen. He was a child, just turned thirteen, and his life had been taken from him in a situation he had been shoved into with no control. Chloe vowed then and there that she would no longer just get through the day. She would strive to go above and beyond her fellow teachers, beyond all those who had never asked about Beca's obsession with firearms, beyond anyone who had encountered the souls lost to crime-infested apartments and shady friends. She wanted to make a difference, and that was her goal now. For once in her life, Chloe Aria Beale felt alive. She felt important. She felt like she could finally step from her father's shadow and be someone who made a difference in her own element.


	10. The Woman With the Iron Liver

_A/N: Thanks everyone for following the reviews. They were stellar, which brings me motivation to get this chapter out ASAP. This is a fun chapter here. I knew I had to talk about Beca's gig, but this is pretty much an opening to the life that Beca how lives and how Chloe fits into it. We get to know the girls a bit better so as to tie up some loose ends on all cylinders. This will probably be the longest chapter so far, so enjoy!_

In a year and a half, Beca had gone from an average Oregon girl with a silly hobby to LA's most wanted DJ and music producer. The day she stepped into LA, she was shaking hands with the likes of David Guetta and Flo Rida. She had produced a chart-topper for Pitbull, most likely one of few for him without a sample, and she had also lent her skills to Justin Timberlake's new album and Jay-Z's sort-of comeback. She had been successful. No one knew music quite like the girl who had used it to heal her wounds left by her mother's death, an everlasting memory of that night etched in her mind. The first time she wrote a song herself was the night of the funeral, jotting down a million emotions, anger coming to life on the paper and releasing from her body. A year after stepping into the light, her debut album was dropped, and she went platinum multiple times. The JT joint gave her a grammy, and her collaboration with Adele had given her the prestigious "Record of the Year" award. Her and Jesse had been given awards at both the grammy's and a few movie awards for best soundtrack, and that project had come out of the woodwork to say the least, thrown together in a matter of three months and very little sleep. Yes, Beca had made it. She had made her father proud, and she had become a star, quickly on her way to being a legend, but all the glitz, the glamour, the money, the groupies and everything in between was never enough to fill a void left by her mother. No, she never expected anything to. Nothing could replace the woman. It was that woman who had introduced Beca to every genre of music under the sun, had taught her that music was everywhere. If she could find it at its whisper when everyone else was distracted by the louder noise, she would set herself apart and therefore be ahead of the game. It was her mother who had urged her to sing, using her powerful voice to convey every emotion, and for the longest, she was the only one that had the privilege of hearing Beca sing. Beca wanted to keep that in tow. She had hidden behind the idea that she just didn't want any excess public attention or scrutiny, but the biggest reason was her mother. She knew nothing in the world could replace Ella Mitchell, and she was sure no one could ever fill the void left in her life, in her heart. WRONG!

Chloe Beale did not replace Beca's mother, but Beca's mother had now become immortal in her daughter's heart, in her daughter's music. She now held a special place in the hall of fame of Beca's heart and soul, though leaving an echoing void in her original placement. Chloe did not replace her, but she filled that void. She came into Beca's life by sheer luck. No, maybe not luck. Someone had orchestrated quite a plot here. She had refused to be the helpless damsel just as Beca had, and she had stepped foot into that range fully motivated to become an accurate shot. Beca had gone that day for one simple reason despite the fact she hadn't been there for a month while working on Cynthia Rose's album. She had gone on the anniversary of her mother's death because she had felt that day as if she had been slacking on her shooting, and that day was more than enough proof that your aim can never be too good, your knowledge of a pistol can never be too much. She had met Chloe then, and she wondered if it was her mother's doing, a way to fill that hole that had been louder than any of the riches or perks that came with her career. Chloe could truly be a reincarnation of her mother, she thought. The cheek-splitting smile, the tender blue eyes, the ability to push Beca to her limits just because she knows Beca can do it, the relentless amount of faith put into the short brunette. Yes, Beca was sure that this was her mother's doing, so now, as she sat in the studio readying for that night's gig, she talked to her mother as she did before every show and thanked her.

"Of course you would like her," Beca chuckled. "You sent her here. Thank you though, Mom. I could not have asked for anyone better. I fell so fast that you wouldn't believe it. I'm sure my track record isn't what you intended to be or would have agreed with. Being critically acclaimed a womanizer wasn't exactly my best idea thinking back, but at the time, I couldn't imagine letting a woman into my life that way or anyone else. Jesse and Amy were enough, but I'm serious this time, Mom. Chloe is-she's-wow, I'm in love with her, Mom, and I can honestly see myself with her ten years from now, but let's get through this apartment lease first."

It had been a tough week. The landlord had been of no help. The police didn't care one bit. Chloe seemed a little more proud of herself as she continued to get to know her students, but coming home remained a bittersweet ending to the day. Aubrey's father had called in a favor with a well-known courtroom predator of a California lawyer to pick up where Aubrey's inexperience left off, and Aubrey and Chloe had met with him Thursday night. It would seem that Chloe surely had a case, but it would be awhile before they could actually get into a courtroom. He did advise Chloe that they could certainly just pay the penalty and sue for the amount after, and it would certainly be an idea Chloe would thoroughly consider. Beca was well on her way to paying the fee with or without Chloe's permission. It was all a matter of time, time Beca knew was not worth waiting.

With a chuckle, Beca stood up and straightened her v-neck before pulling on a yellow and black plaid shirt. Never did she see herself in bright colors, especially for a gig, but Chloe had surprised her with it that morning before work, and she couldn't deny it was comfortable and actually pretty nice looking. She slid it on before pulling her signature chunky earphones around her neck. It was nine. She had to be at the club at eleven, and she spun at midnight. Chloe and Aubrey were already at the apartment with Jesse, Stacie and Amy awaiting her, and they would ride down together. Tonight was certainly special. Serge wasn't throwing just any old party. He was throwing a party for one of music's biggest names, and the guest list was star studded. Yes, Justin Timberlake's album was dropping at last, and he had the world on edge especially after revealing that DJ Titanium B was responsible for the majority of the production. Tonight would be one to remember indeed. Beca just hoped it wasn't in the sense that Aubrey was puking everywhere.

She drove up to her apartment a little past ten fifteen after finalizing the playlist for the night. She had finished a few different mashups perfect for tonight, and she was becoming very excited about the gig. She entered the apartment to find her friends eating takeout in the kitchen. Chloe slid her a styrofoam plate of orange chicken and steamed rice.

"Hey, baby," Chloe greeted, kissing the brunette's cheek.

"Hey," she replied with a kiss to Chloe's forehead. "What's going on, guys?"

"Shawshank! We were just talking about the party," Amy replied.

"Yeah, we got a whiff of the guest list," Jesse added in. "Whew, if I was single, I-"

Before he could finish, the air was expelled from his lungs in a whoosh and a yelp as Stacie's elbow was thrust into his side.

"I'm giving you time to think before you finish that sentence," she shot.

"Whoa, there, Stace, you yourself said earlier that you wouldn't mind Justin kidnapping you," Amy reminded her to the tall brunette's chagrin.

"Ah ha!" Jesse bellowed as his girlfriend blushed. "That's fine. If you go, make sure you get Mila Kunis's number before."

"Uh, why?" Stacie asked.

"So you know where to reach me in the morning."

"Watch yourself, Swanson."

Beca chuckled at her friends' antics.

"I'd second you on that, J, but," she drawled, aware of the warning glare now piercing the side of her head. "I don't think anyone on that list can top what I get to come home to."

The eyes softened as the table barked a laugh.

"You are soooo whipped," Aubrey said with a pointed look.

"You are soooo smart," Chloe countered. "Imagine the bummer it would be had I had to stick my brand new heels up your-."

Beca winced. "No, no, I'm good. Definitely good."

Chloe pinched her cheek. "That's a good girl."

Beca slapped her hand away.

"Jesus, Shawshank, does she have your lady bits in a jar or something?" Amy asked, a seriously concerned expression on her face. "You may want to reacquire those because I don't think I can be seen with you."

Beca launched an egg roll at her, but somehow, the Aussie caught in her mouth as everyone watched in awe. She began chewing it nonchalantly.

"At least I don't have to say 'shut up' now," Beca sighed.

Beca led her friends into the club, the bouncer checking them off the guest list. Paparazzi flooded the scene, and they yelled questions to Beca about Chloe, whose hand Beca was gripping firmly while Chloe's other hand grabbed her bicep. Beca gave the cameras big smiles but dodged the questions for now. Serge met them just inside the entrance, greeting each of them with a hug. He then gestured over to the skybox up top next to the DJ booth, and Beca led them up. Chloe, Stacie and Aubrey could not believe how elegant yet luxuriously outrageous the place was. It was dark, but the high ceiling was lined in long strobe lights flickering to the beat here and there before giving way to steady blue and green lights upon the dance floor below. The bar was right below the skybox, covering the entire wall it seemed. There was a mini bar within the skybox, every sort of liquor ever imagined stocking the shelves. Beca took her equipment into the booth next door, waving at the house DJ as she set down her bag. As walked back into the box, a tall figure appeared before her. Her friends all looked up, and Aubrey's jaw hit the floor. Chloe was in a state of shock that had her mouth slightly agape and her eyes glazed over. It was Stacie who screamed like a thirteen-year-old girl, and Beca was sure the entire club heard it as she blanched.

"Ohmigod!" Stacie squealed. "It's Justin Timberlake! Can I touch you?"

Justin chuckled good heartedly as Jesse's eyes narrowed dangerously, shaking the brunette's hand.

"DJ Fun-Size!" he greeted with a chuckle when he saw Beca, pulling her into a hug. "How's it going?"

"You tell me, Pretty Boy," she returned.

"Well, as you can see, Serge knows how to throw a party. Ready for your set?"

"It's what I live for. You feeling good about the album?"

"Are you kidding me? I have the best in the business riding with me. You really outdid yourself, B."

"Nah, I never outdo myself. Oh, Justin, you remember Jesse and Amy."

"Yeah, hey guys." He shook the hands of the two calmer friends, Jesse replacing his scowl with a tight smile.

"And this is Aubrey, the screamer is Stacie, and this gorgeous ginger is my girlfriend Chloe."

"Girlfriend? Wow, you must certainly be special for a title like that." He shook Chloe's hand with a smile as she beamed back.

"Yeah, people keep saying that," she replied.

"No more womanizing for DJ B, huh?"

"Not if she knows what's good for her."

"Whoa, B, I like her."

"Yeah, so do I."

Beca's set began at twelve, and the house DJ introduced her on the dot.

"Okay, everybody, listen up!" the man shouted into the mic. "It's about that time. We have a special guest with us tonight. She's half the reason we're here tonight, celebrating JT's big release. Lock up your ladies, boys! Please welcome, LA's finest DJ and upcoming producer, DJ Titanium B!"

The roar was deafening as Beca stepped onto the platform, screams and hollars filling the room. Beca lofted a hand above her head, and the screams only heightened in volume. As her hand slashed down, the first track came on, a mix of Pitbull's "Give Me Everything Tonight" and Jessie J's "Price Tag." The sea of bodies moved almost in sync to the beat, people all over shouting the lyrics at the DJ Booth. A waitress came up to bring Beca a drink, her usual easy rum and coke straight up without caring that Beca was still only twenty. It would last half the set because she didn't like drinking while she worked, but she did need something to take the edge off. Her friends had descended the stairs onto the dance floor, and she could see that familiar red hair right beneath the DJ booth. She smiled, and Chloe must have felt eyes because she looked up with the same grin. She blew a kiss up at the DJ before returning to dancing with Stacie.

It was a two-hour set for Beca, and by the time it wound down, she was feeling great. Justin had given a performance, and he had been able to get Beca to lend a hand on the hook from the booth on the song she wrote. Chloe could see the twinkle in her girlfriend's eyes as she sang, and though Beca would deny it, Chloe knew she loved it. There was something more to the story of why Beca wouldn't sing her songs, and she vowed to find out. They were all about helping each other now. She had to do her part as well. Beca would thank her for it eventually.

As Beca entered the skybox, Chloe rushed into her arms.

"You did amazing!" she whispered into Beca's ear, kissing her temple.

"Yeah, I read that off your seductive body language," Beca smirked.

"I figured you needed something to look at up there."

"Yeah, you mean something to be distracted by."

"Are you complaining?"

"Do I look stupid?" Before Chloe could speak, she clapped her hand over the redhead's mouth. "Yeah, no. Don't answer that."

Chloe giggled as the rest of the group entered, pecking the brunette's lips.

"That was amazing, Beca!" Stacie gushed.

"Thanks," Beca replied.

"Yeah, I will admit that it was impressive," Aubrey said curtly, lips pursed.

"Oh, come on, Posen. Loosen up."

"I'm okay the way I am, thank you."

"What? Aww, Aubrey Posen can't handle her liquor?" The brunette's lip jutted out as she cooed. "You gonna throw up on all of us."

Chloe's eyes grew wide as Stacie's grew mischievous.

"Uh, Beca, I wouldn't-" Chloe began but was cut off by Aubrey.

"You really don't wanna go there, Mitchell."

"I just figured you didn't wanna toss cookies all over JT, ya know?" Beca shrugged. "You drank ginger ale all night, didn't you? What a-"

"Chloe! Grab the tequila."

"No, Aubrey, you don't have to-"

"Chloe!"  
A few minutes later, Beca and Aubrey sat across from each other in the ultimate stare down as Chloe filled up five shot glasses for each of them and set them before the women. Chloe tried to warn Beca. Aubrey was uptight. Aubrey was stubborn. Aubrey was many things, but a lightweight she was not. Chloe had seen her take down an entire bottle of vodka and go for a morning jog the next morning. It must have had something to do with all of the alcohol she guzzled down in high school at those debate club parties that they swore up and down were study sessions. Yeah, right. The first night of one of those "sessions", Aubrey came to Chloe's so inebriated that she passed out on the back lawn. The only reason Chloe found her was because she got up to open the window due to the heat in her room. It was chaos, but through those parties, Aubrey built an outstanding tolerance that may or may not be the death of DJ Titanium B tonight.

"Okay, we drink, Chloe continues refilling," Aubrey explained. "First one to tap out loses. Simple as that."

"Oh, you're so on, Posen," Beca growled.

"You're gonna kill my girlfriend, aren't you?" Chloe muttered to her best friend.

"It's a lesson to be learned, Chloe," Aubrey replied.

Stacie did a countdown from five, and once she hit one, Beca's hand flew across the table. Beca was slamming shot after shot, Aubrey two glasses behind but not looking worried at all. Chloe quickly refilled Beca's glasses then moved over to do the same for Aubrey. This looked bad. Amy was watching in horror, sipping on her own tequila bottle and already filling sick. Stacie watched with her eyes illuminated, Jesse beside her with a look of concern on his own face. Aubrey looked so damn calm that it worried their friends. Jesse's eyes were fixed on Beca, and he saw the effects of good old tequila before Beca even felt them. He saw Aubrey simply taken down the shots with elegance, and he knew that his best friend was in deep trouble.

It was maybe Beca's ninth shot that everything hit her at once. Everything became blurry, a mix of colors and noise. The shot glass she had to her lips now branched into three. She pulled it away from her mouth. She was sweating, and she felt almost suffocated by the air. She tried to set her glass down but missed the table, the glass falling to the carpet softly, tequila spilling over. Aubrey's features didn't alter until she downed her tenth glass, setting it down with a triumphant and tight smile, dabbing her lips with a napkin. Beca fell back into the couch cushion. Aubrey was drunk sure, but she had let it settle after each glass, and she would be just fine.

"S-she has an iron liver," Beca slurred as Chloe hurried to her side. "Cheater!"

Chloe giggled. "I told you not to, Babe. I tried to warn you."

Daniel, one of the bouncers and a close friend, helped Jesse get Beca into the car in the back alley. Aubrey had a permanent smirk etched on her face, and Chloe still could not believe what had happened. Either way, it was nice to see Aubrey loosened up. They had danced for a good half hour before returning to the box to retrieve Beca. By then, the DJ was sound asleep. Oh well. Chloe did try to warn her.

Beca awoke the next morning with the biggest headache she had ever been riddled with. She huffed out a breath, sending a flurry of red locks through the air. She peered down to find Chloe fast asleep, her head resting on the brunette's chest. Beca smiled despite the pain and looked over at the clock on the bedside table. It was nine in the morning. She wasn't yet ready to wake up for fear of nausea hitting when she stood, but the chatter coming from the kitchen was not making it easy to go back to sleep. As she floated in and out of consciousness her girlfriend began to stir, delicate fingers gripping Beca's waist before a yawn filled the room. Big blue eyes peered up at the shorter girl, a smile growing. Beca, well aware no sleep would come, opened her eyes to look at Chloe.

"Good morning," the redhead hissed.

"Not so much," Beca huffed, her hand on her forehead.

Chloe smirked. "Not so much for teasing Aubrey now, huh?"

"I didn't tease her."

"'Come on, Posen, loosen up. Are you gonna throw up on all of us?' Does that ring a bell at all?"

"Ugh, I'm not supposed to remember the green giant drinking me under the table. I swear that woman has an-"

"Iron liver. Yeah, you kept chanting that on the ride home."

"Oh gosh, I feel like someone's taking a hammer to my head."

"It's a lesson learned. I tried to warn you. Aubrey is anything but a lightweight."

"I got hustled."

Chloe giggled. "That you did."

Beca now looked down, picking up the sheets and taking in her appearance before settling back down. Chloe quirked an eyebrow.

"You honestly thought I'd take advantage of you?" the redhead asked.

"Of course not," Beca replied. "However, my drunken limbs move of their own accord, and I was making sure I didn't take advantage of _you_."

"You're so good at saving your ass."

"It's an acquired talent, trust me."

After taking turns grabbing a shower, the couple met their friends in the kitchen. Everyone eyed Beca as she poured herself a large mug of coffee.

"Wow, Posen, you may have tamed the beast," Jesse hissed. "She's never been out of order like this before."

"Shut up, Swanson," Beca growled.

"But her hearing's still crystal clear."

"Damn, Shawshank, Blondie here drank you over and under the table," Amy whooped. "She wiped the bar with your little ass. She didn't even puke or anything, and we danced through like six songs. She would truly be a great addition to the Tasmanian national drinking team."

"They have one of those?" Stacie asked.

"Well, yeah. I mean, they're not sanctioned events, but if you don't drown on the reef or get eaten by a shark after a few bottles, you get a medal or something."

Beca grunted. "She has an-"

"An iron liver!" the entire group said in unison, cutting Beca off. "We know!"

"Admit it, Becs, she schooled you," Jesse said softly.

"Yeah, yeah. At least my pain got her to loosen up," Beca sighed, settling down at the table where Chloe served her a plate of eggs, bacon and toast. "Either way, I know my state was probably a good front for some newspaper."

Now Jesse grinned. "No, don't worry. We snuck you out the back, but Chloe surely made headlines."

He now pulled out two newspapers and three printed articles, each with a picture of the cozy couple in front of the club as well as in the skybox after Beca's set. The headlines were excruciatingly corny as Beca and Chloe scanned them, the worst being 'LA's favorite DJ and new Fiery haired Flame'. Another read 'Red-haired mystery woman breaks Titanium Casing'. Beca snorted. The pictures were nice. That had to be admitted, but Chloe wasn't sure how to react. It wasn't as if anyone at the school would really mind. They were short for teachers anyway. She somehow wondered though if her family had seen it.

Richard and Jenna Beale were what many would call an average family of impressive luck. Richard was the famous owner of Richie's Backyard Barbecue, and Jenna was his accountant. They had met in high school and had followed their career paths at Washington State. They were married shortly after graduation, and they had their first child Allie a year later. Allie and Chloe had never really been close with five years between them, and the oldest Beale child lived in Washington DC working on Capitol Hill. Two years after Allie was born, Carter and Reagan were born. No, they had not been named after presidents, but still, they followed their big sister into politics, working as campaign advisors for candidates early on. They were the type of snot-nosed kids that didn't tell people their father made barbecue for a living. Chloe had always been proud of her father, but he had so much experience not being enough for his older children that Chloe's pride in him could not be enough. Chloe was daddy's little girl, and he loved her, but it seemed as though he was chasing his older children's love too much to truly give Chloe the attention she deserved. Chloe's older siblings were tightly wound and snobby from the jump, Lord knows how, so it was Aubrey and Chloe that formed alliance because Aubrey's two older siblings were the same way. Only the second to last child of the Beale family, Chloe's older brother by eleven months, was one that stuck with the family business of barbecue. Andy was a good-natured kid, and he and Chloe were close, but he wasn't all for playing with little girls in the long run. He was glad she had Aubrey though. He didn't talk to his sister much, but then again, Chloe didn't call home much after her father being vocally less than thrilled about her wanting to be a teacher. Either way, Chloe loved her family, and she knew that there was a great chance her father would be less than thrilled that Chloe was well known for anything other than barbecue and her family name.

Beca was busy trying to read Chloe's expression, the rest of the room quiet. Chloe's eyes were glazed over as she thought about her family. She hadn't talked to them since graduation, and she wasn't sure this was the conversation she wanted to have. Her mother had been trying to see if she would be visiting for Thanksgiving, but Chloe had not offered a definitive answer as of yet. What to do now was beyond her.

Jesse, Stacie, Aubrey and Amy dispersed upstairs with the excuse that Aubrey and Stacie wanted to see the studio, including Jesse's wall-sized projector screen he used to look over movie clips. They really just wanted to give the couple some time.

"Babe, are you okay?" Beca at last asked, shaking Chloe from her reverie.

"Hmm," Chloe replied, looking at Beca as if for the first time. "Oh, yeah, I just-"

Beca grabbed her hand. "Babe, you can tell me. I know it's a lot."

"No, it's not me, Becs. I don't have a problem with it."

"Your job?"

"No, my-dad. Look, my dad is sort of-well known."

"Oh, God. It's Ronald Weasley isn't it?"

Chloe giggled. "He's not even real, and the actor's like my age. Anyway, he owns-a barbecue chain. He's more Northwest famous than anything."

"Wait a minute. Barbecue chain? The only one I know of is... No way, your dad owns Richie's Backyard Barbecue! That's my shit! I haven't had that since we left home. Mmm, tastes so good, make you wanna slap...somebody!"

"Okay, Uncle Elroy." Chloe rolled her eyes. "Yes, that's our restaurant. It's just, my dad always thought I'd be the one to enter business with him. Only my big brother Andy has. Our other three oldest siblings ran off into politics in Washington, and they're sort of ashamed of my dad. My dad wasn't thrilled about me being a teacher, and I figure that maybe he won't be too happy about me being famous for anything other than Beale barbecue, ya know. I mean he's already upset I moved down here, and I really don't want to talk about living down here, the apartment, ugh. He told me over and over it was a bad idea, that something would go wrong. Now they want me to go up for Thanksgiving, and-ugh. I don't know."

Beca pondered a moment then came up with an idea. "Hey, why don't you invite them here for Thanksgiving instead? My dad's coming, and Amy and her parents are going 'down under' for break. I mean, Jesse's parents aren't coming. They're in London on business. They run a technology company, so he's going over there. That way, they can stay here in the house and see how good you're doing for yourself."

"Really, Beca, you would do that?"

"Chloe, I'd do anything for you. I love you."

The sparkle in Chloe's eye was enough to let Beca know she had done the right thing, and the couple shared a genuine grin.

"You're the best," Chloe breathed as she embraced the brunette. "I don't know how I got so lucky."

"Oh, which reminds me," Beca cut in, pulling away slightly to look in Chloe's eyes. "He's not gonna like fry me up, right? Like, he'll be cool with-" She glanced down at herself.

"Beca, he's fine with me having girlfriends if that's what you mean. We went through that shock-and-awe in high school. The DJ thing I'm a bit iffy on, but I think it will be fine. For an accountant, my mother is a real music buff, and she loves Shakira. She even listens to Eminem, which-still gets me sometimes, but my mom's always been very supportive of dreams and all that. If anything, she's our safe haven."

"Oh, good, I like those."

Chloe giggled once more but sobered quickly. "So, what about your dad?"

"Oh, he's gonna love you. I've told him all about you, and he agrees."

"Agrees with what?"

"You're a lot like my mom."

Chloe smiled. "Aww, Baby."

"Yeah, and since everyone's coming down here, we can make a road trip out of Christmas. We can stop at my dad's place, visit my mom and go up to your parents'."

Chloe's eyes became wide. "You-you would let me meet your mom?"

Beca chuckled. "Of course, Beale. She sent you to me after all. Just know that you owe me all-I-can-eat barbecue when we get to Seattle."

"Deal."


	11. Cliches for Chloe-And ONLY for Chloe

_A/N: Thanks everyone for the following and reviews. I'm on a roll now, so I'll keep trucking. I have a lot more reviews and PMs coming in, so I'm motivated. I had some writer's block and loss of interest for this story, but as I read it over in full, my mind came to life, so I kept writing. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy thoroughly and please drop a review!_

"What in the name of all that is holy did you get yourself into, Mitchell?" Beca huffed as she ran over the living room mantle with a duster again.

Beca Mitchell had never used a duster in her life. Amy usually called a cleaning crew to do so, but Beca felt morally obligated to get the house ready to accommodate the Beale family. She had been fully driven and determined when she pitched the idea to Chloe. When Chloe actually told her that her parents had agreed as well as her older brother Andy, Beca had internally had a mental breakdown. As soon as she had hung up with her girlfriend, she had banged her head against the kitchen counter until Amy came in and told her to stop before she got blood on the marble. It was much more of a rush than Beca had ever expected, and meeting Chloe's parents after just a couple of months was nerve-racking beyond relief. It had been hard enough making a good impression on her clients. Her girlfriend's parents were a completely different entity. She was shaken, and the rest of November had not been much help in diffusing her.

The month had started with back-and-forth calls between Aubrey, Mr. Calvin the California predator lawyer, and the landlord of Chloe's complex. The landlord, Mr. Jones, was doing everything in his power to prolong the process of getting into a courtroom, and he was doing quite a good job.

Chloe had become somewhat of a makeshift grief counselor at work when another one of her students, an eighth grader much more popular with his peers than Todd had been, was killed in a drive-by shooting in his neighborhood. It had taken a toll on many of the kids, but with his tragic death came desperation that morphed to strength to share their stories with their compassionate choir teacher. She learned that one of her seventh graders had been molested by one of her mother's many "boyfriends". That had led to a lengthy talk with the school guidance counselor and eventually to child services. Chloe had not seen the girl since, but the counselor assured Chloe she had done a very good thing and had helped the girl to a better life. It was things like this that made the drive home easier for Chloe, the long days more bearable, the hardships in her life less stressful and the job worth it all.

Aside from legal battles and tortured souls, Beca and Chloe were going over their family life with one another in preparation. Beca didn't have much to say about her father. He was a high school teacher now, and he seemed to like it. It was nowhere near law enforcement, but it was surely a breath of fresh air. He knew as much as he could know about Chloe, and he was genuinely excited to meet her. He was an easy-going guy, firm and tough when he had to be which accounted for Beca's ways in many aspects. Chloe showed Beca family photos, and Beca flashed a few of her own, but it didn't do much to calm the brunette's nerves.

Jesse had left for London on the fifteenth of the month with Stacie in tow, using all of her accrued paid time off, and Amy left a few days following that. The Beale family was due on the twentieth, four days before the holiday itself while Warren was not due until the day before Thanksgiving. This gave Beca three days to either completely charm Chloe's parents or make a total fool of herself without help from Warren, even a couple days without Chloe for most of them as she still would have to work. If Warren had been standing in the living room in that moment, he would be able to instantly read his daughter's nervous discomfort and mental freakout. Chloe only had suspicions that she wasn't as composed as she made out to seem, but she couldn't be completely sure yet the way Warren could be. Beca knew it had been her idea though, and she had a few days before Chloe's family would arrive. Holy shit.

Friday night arrived, and Chloe followed Beca back to the brunette's empty apartment after the shooting range. They had already put most of Chloe's things into the house that would surely last the week as well as possibly riddle the question about where she lived unnecessary, or so they hoped. Chloe couldn't lie if asked, but she certainly didn't want to discuss the other apartment. She hadn't been there much as of late after another shooting and a police raid at the start of the month. She started not to mind the drive in the morning so much across town, and Beca was visibly more at ease.

Chloe had school until Tuesday then she would be off of work until the following Monday, and she could hardly wait for the vacation. The month had really taken a toll on her after Ronnie O'Neal's death and the revelation of Bianca Derek's molestation. She had been trying to save the world one child at a time, and she had not had much time to help her girlfriend ready for her family. As she walked into the house, she saw the place was just about spotless in every sense of the word. She had never seen it so dainty and neat. She walked through the den and into the laundry room, which was usually covered in clothes from all three roommates. She had scolded the trio once before about it. Today, however, there was not a piece of clothing in sight.

"Wow," she drawled as Beca appeared behind her. "I can see the floor."

"Don't feel bad," Beca whispered. "I've never seen it either. Not that great. It's like having to wait a week after Christmas before your great aunt arrives with your big gift, but when you open it, all you find is socks. Yeah, that sort of bummer."

"You locked yourself in here with those cleaning supplies, didn't you?"

"Why would you say that?"

"That was the dumbest most philosophical thing to ever leave your lips, Mitchell."

"Yeah, well, people doubted Gandhi too, Beale."

Chloe just smirked as she followed Beca back into the kitchen. Beca had already called in a lasagna order on their way home, so they were just waiting now.

"So..." Chloe began, breaking the silence and moving into her girlfriend's arms. "Are you ready for this week?"

"Getting there," Beca chimed, her voice higher than usual.

"It won't be bad, Babe. They'll be here Sunday night, so I'll be here for introductions and all of that."

"Yeah, then I have a whole day without you to screw this up. I'm not good with questions. Why do you think I don't do many live interviews or any of that. Being in the hot seat is the worst."

"You're overreacting. My mother will be very understanding, and yeah, my dad will ask about your occupation, but my mom will ask more about the exciting parts than the actual inner workings of it all. My brother's a lot like me too."

"Okay, but if he bursts through my personal bubble, he's getting punched in the face. Let that just be a warning."

Chloe chuckled. "I'll note that to him then. He's a hugger."

"Aren't all Beale's huggers?" Beca smirked.

"Well, except for the older children you don't have to meet and my dad, yeah."

"Meaning three of you. Not exactly majority, Red."

"Are you going to continue to be difficult?"

"Hey, just let me do my thing, okay? It's how I cope."

"Sure, Mitchell. You think I'm super excited about meeting your dad?"

"Okay...Have you met you! You're like a goddess, Chloe. My dad knows as much about you as I do at this point, and you guys have the same job! What have you told your parents about me?"

"I told them that you're a well-known DJ and music producer."

"Yeah, good way to open it."

"Shut it, Mitchell. Anyway, I told them that you're very sweet but only for me because you're a certified badass. I told them that you're from Oregon, that you're a sharpshooter with a pistol and therefore the best of protectors, and that you're really supportive of my career. My dad really softened up though when I told him the most important detail of all."

"What was that?" Her face fell. "If you make a short joke, Beale, I swear-"

"Nope, no short joke." Chloe grinned mischievously, running her hands down Beca's chest, slipping beneath the flannel shirt.

"You told them I can cook, didn't you?"

"Warmer, but...no."

"Does he like Lincoln cars?"

"No." She husked the words now, her lips brushing the shell of Beca's ear, causing the shorter girl to shudder.

"D-dammit, Beale! What did you tell them?"

Chloe's mouth now hovered beside Beca's ear, her hands firmly on her hips, sliding beneath her shirt to touch bare skin.

"I-" she hissed seductively, Beca instantly swept by goosebumps, melting into her girlfriend's touch, her eyes falling closed. "Told them-" Warm lips brushed her ear once more. "-that you-like-their barbecue."

Beca's eyes snapped wide open as Chloe burst into laughter, nearly falling over as she grasped her stomach.

"You are an evil woman," Beca groaned, shoving her girlfriend playfully and heading for the den.

"What the hell did you think I was going to tell them, Becs!" Chloe asked after composing herself. "That's my dad's pride and joy. He has to like you now."

"He doesn't have to do anything, and neither do I, so you can cook your own turkey and kiss Amy's pillow when you sleep on her bed tonight."

"Really?"

"Yes." Beca didn't look up because she knew if she did, she would cave.

"Really really?"

"Yes, really really."

"Are you-sure?"

And Beca slipped. She glanced up just barely and caught bright and amused cerulean eyes boring into her. There was a glossy shine to the puppy dog wide eyes, complimenting the lower lip slightly jutting out.

"Really?" Chloe husked now.

"Damn it!" Beca huffed, collapsing on the couch in defeat. "You're gonna be the death of me, Beale, I swear it."

Sunday rushed all too fast for Beca's liking. She had been at the shooting range all morning after an all-night session at the studio. Chloe had been a bit apprehensive about being at the house alone all night, but she understand, and Beca texted her constantly. The gated community was comforting as well.

Chloe had gone to bed a little after three a.m., and Beca had left the studio at seven, heading straight for the range. After a few hours of shooting to relax her, she headed home. She couldn't do anything but kick off her shoes, shed her jacket, step out of her pants and collapse into bed next to her girlfriend. Immediately, Chloe rolled over and snuggled into the brunette's figure, an arm thrown over her midsection. Beca smiled to herself. In all her years, she never expected this. She had never seen herself in a serious relationship or betting on a future or any of that. Yet, here she was in love with Chloe Beale, and she had no problem with it.

Beca woke up at four in the afternoon alone in bed. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and slid out of the bed, stumbling into the kitchen to find her girlfriend stocking groceries. Beca quirked a lazy eyebrow, wondering why Chloe was buying groceries when Beca had argued and eventually convinced Chloe to let her buy them, or so she thought she had convinced her.

"Babe, what are you doing?" she grunted.

Beca had not intended to scare Chloe half to death, but the redhead had been unaware of her entrance, thus driving her to jump a foot in the air with a shriek and launch the cucumber in her hand at the brunette. It nailed Beca square in the eye, instantly sending her crashing to the ground because balance was nonexistent when one was half asleep. Chloe stared on in awe for a moment with a gasp, her hands at her mouth. She carefully stepped around the counter to see Beca lying there looking just as utterly shocked with her hand to her eye.

"The whole 'surprise attack' shit is getting pretty old," she hissed hoarsely.

It was then that Chloe succumbed to a fit of hysterical laughter that pierced her sides and rendered her breathless. Beca watched her through her good eye with an unimpressed look, the redhead clutching her sides desperately as the laughter shook her entire body.

"Yeah, great move, Babe," she deadpanned. "You and Aubrey really want me to go blind, don't you?"

"Babe, I-you-" More side-splitting laughter then a deep breath. "You-scared me."

"And thank God it was only a cucumber you turned on me with."

"Did you want me to reach for my holster?"

Beca pondered it a moment, but decided to only reply with a shrug.

"Like I said," she grunted when she at last stood. "The death of me."

When the white SUV pulled into the parking garage, Beca had a strong urge to turn and dart down the street. Chloe held firmly to her hand as the doors of said vehicle opened up wide. The first to step out was Andy. He was about six feet tall with short auburn hair, a bit darker than Chloe's, and glowing blue eyes that matched his sister's. He wore a tight red polo and jeans, and his face was adorned with a large grin as he took in his sister approaching. The moment she was within arms' length, he swept her into his arms and twirled her around.

"Hey, baby sister!" he bellowed with glee, setting her down. "And this must be the prized girlfriend I've heard so much about. I heard the whole personal bubble threat, but...I don't really care right now."

Without further warning, Beca found herself swept up into a hug that left her legs dangling in the air, Chloe chuckling behind her. Andy was a bear of a man really, arms bulging slightly in multiple places around his barreled chest. He sat her down with a wide grin, and Beca could not help but fall victim to the genetic Beale charm and smile back. As she did, a woman appeared beside Andy, fiery auburn locks identical to Chloe's cascading around her shoulders, bright cyan eyes filled with wonder.

"Beca!" she squealed, taking her into yet another hug. "It's so nice to finally put a face to the name. You are stunning! I guess my daughter has better taste now than in high school."

"Wow, you're already taking back seat to her, Chlo-bear," Andy said in a stage whisper. "Watch out."

"Yeah, uh, Mommy, you're daughter's right here!" Chloe squealed like a child. "And let's not talk about high school."

Jenna turned with a wide smile, hugging her daughter firmly.

"It's nice to see you too, sweetie, but...I've seen _you _before."

Jenna and Beca chuckled as Chloe pouted. Beca felt a lot better now, but she still had to wait for one last person...

Richard Beale towered over his son at no shorter than six-foot-four with light brown hair and dashing green eyes that seem to illuminate at the sight of his daughter and her girlfriend. He made Andy look like a bear cub with his thick arms and chest. How many muscles were needed to barbecue? Jesus. He had a smile playing on his face, but he seemed to be restraining it. Beca now noticed that he and Chloe were having a stare down, both intent on one another and refusing to blink. At last, Chloe's eyes fluttered shut.

"Ah ha!" Richard hollared.

Chloe giggled as her father picked her up in his arms. Regardless of what he thought of how she lived her life, Chloe would always be her daddy's little girl, and he was slowly coming to terms with the fact that she wasn't a little girl at all anymore.

"Hi, daddy!" Chloe said with a light laugh as he set her down.

"Hey, Chlo-Bear," he replied, a sparkle in his eyes. He then glanced over to Beca with a more tentative smile, if a smile at all. "And you must be the famous Beca Mitchell."

"It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Beale," Beca said with a smile that nearly matched his, warm but reserved as they shook hands.

He said nothing else, so Beca decided to move it along.

"Come on. Let's get you guys set up."

After settling Andy in Jesse's room and Richard and Jenna in Amy's room, with the roommates' permission beforehand of course, the family at last gathered at the table for a delicious meal prepared by Beca. Jenna was the first to compliment Beca on her chicken Alfredo dish, and she beamed at the woman with gratitude.

"So your father's coming too, is that right, Beca?" Richard asked, and Chloe, Jenna and Andy were well aware that he was in father interrogation mode.

"Yes, Sir," Beca replied, oblivious to the wide eyes her girlfriend was sporting beside her. "He'll be here on Wednesday."

"He's a teacher, is that right?"

"Yes, he teaches English composition at my old high school." A grunt followed.

"So you, uh, DJ. How is that going for you?"

"It's going very well. It's a lot to get used to with the work load, but I've settled into a very comfortable and effective routine when it comes to work."

"It must be sporadic. Is there ever a time where, you know, there's no work?"

"Well, usually, we have projects overlapping, and many of the projects we get will usually last up to a year. Even then, I'm always able to DJ at my boss's club or create mixes for their station. Aside from that, I have a lot of money saved up."

"So I assume you like logic then. I mean, you plan ahead, correct?"

"You could say that. I mean, yeah, I like to think of myself as prepared for any and all situations. It's a habit to think out every possible outcome of something before doing it. Aside from the music itself, that is."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I don't really over think making music because that would be setting limitations upon myself, strangling my creativity if you will. I just go with the music."

"That's very insightful, Beca," Jenna assured her with a smile.

"Thank you," Beca replied.

"So where's your mother, Beca?" Richard asked without missing a beat.

Beca tensed instantly, and Chloe's hand shot out under the table to seek out the brunette's. She found it rigid in her lap and gave it a tight squeeze. Beca took a deep breath as the tension began to descend. Richard didn't bother glancing up from his plate, therefore missing the warning glare his wife was aiming at him or the wide eyes of his children. Chloe had only told Andy in their recent days of reconnecting that Beca's mother had passed, about her obsession with firearms. She knew she should have at least mentioned it to her parents now.

"Uh, she-passed away when I was seven," Beca replied slowly, following immediately with a bite of her food.

"Oh, what happened to her?"

To say the phrase was absent of feeling would be a complete understatement. It was completely cold, ruthless and rude.

"Richard," Jenna chided lightly, a pointed look on her face.

Richard instead gave Beca an expectant look. "Go on," he urged.

Now usually, Beca would take the rude pushing and metaphorically tell her attacker where to stick it with a very verbal outburst. As she squeezed Chloe's hand, she remembered why she couldn't do that, and the redhead beside her meant so much more than her pride.

"She was murdered," Beca replied, struggling to keep her voice even.

"How?"

"Richard!" Jenna hissed again as Chloe too chided her father, but Beca continued, more confidence now that could easily be conveyed as disrespectful arrogance if Richard wished it so.

"She was shot in the head by an intruder in our home."

Richard's face contorted into something Chloe had seen only a few times, once when she told him she was a lesbian. It was a mixture of concern and confusion.

"I'm so sorry to hear that, Beca," Jenna said softly, eyes filled with apology.

"Thank you, but I've been able to cope with it," Beca went on.

"It still must have been tough. You're very strong."

"You wouldn't believe the half of it, Mom," Chloe beamed.

"So I've also heard that you have quite a shot with a handgun," Richard went on effortlessly to his family's chagrin.

"Yes, I guess you can say that," she replied curtly.

"You go to the range a lot, right? Teaching my daughter to shoot as well."  
"Yes, sir."

"Why would she need to learn to shoot? I mean, do you two get in a lot of trouble?" Chloe could feel Beca grow more rigid, and she knew the brunette was beyond irritated with her father's insinuating.

"No, sir." Still she amazed Chloe at how even her voice was. "However, this city isn't always known for its hospitality in some cases, and many things happen everyday we can't explain. I grew up in Oregon. I never expected a man with a gun to waltz into my house and kill my mother in cold blood. Therefore, I don't take many chances anymore. Chloe wanted to learn the skill, and her safety means everything to me. If she sleeps a little better at night because of it then so do I."

Richard couldn't readily respond to that, and Jenna smirked, throwing the brunette a wink. Andy had to hold back a laugh as he gave Beca an impressed sideways glance. Chloe continued to grin, awaiting her father's comeback which never came.

After dinner, Beca gave the family a tour of the house. Andy and Jenna were amazed at the studio loft and all the high-tech equipment in the room.

"I see why you're so protective," Andy breathed, gawking at the large projector screen covering the wall.

"Yeah, our other roommate, my best friend from home, is a movie scorer and screenwriter. That's his projector. We share this studio."

"That's awesome."

Richard stood behind his family, reserved and composed, his eyes fixed on the glass of wine clutched in his hand. Every now and again, he would glance up and scrutinize Beca before returning to his drink. Beca noticed each time he did so, but though she was sure she was failing with him miserably, she was not one bit deterred from being with Chloe. Any other time, merely months ago, she would have turned tail and ran for the hills. Not today though. Today, she was hopelessly in love with the redhead, and no one could change that.

It wasn't until Chloe and Jenna had settled at the table with coffee and Andy had opted for a shower that Richard went searching for his youngest daughter's significant other. He found her standing on a grand terrace overlooking the city below right outside the den. He stood beside her. Beca already knew who it was. She offered him a warm smile that he didn't react to before returning her gaze down to the lights.

"Let's get to the point," he at last huffed. "What are your intentions with my daughter?"  
"I love your daughter," Beca replied instantly. "I want to be with her as long as she'll have me."

"Why?"

Beca could no longer restrain the scoff. "Have you ever met your daughter, Mr. Beale?" She punctuated with a smile to counter the utter disrespect she had begun with, but his eyes didn't soften. "She gets me. She liked me for me, before she knew who I was and what I did. She accepted me. She didn't push for me to open up to her and give her my past because she understood how hard it was for me. She was there when I was ready, and never did she judge me."

"From what I've googled, you're one hell of a womanizer."

"Once upon a time, I guess I was. Then, I-"

"Yeah, you met Chloe. Very original line. You could obviously have any woman you would like, and here you are with my daughter. It's bad enough she decided to work, to _live _in this Godforsaken place, but now she's dating one of the very greedy, arrogant, self-centered-"

"Okay, Mr. Beale, with all due respect, let me stop you right there." Chloe and Jenna, hearing the raised voice of Richard, were now standing at the door, hidden behind the cream curtains and listening intently. "I know what my job makes me appear as. It isn't anything I've never heard before. I know I made mistakes in the beginning. That first taste of fame may have damn well did me in. I fell for all of the fast girls throwing themselves, not at me, but the perks that came with the name. I didn't want a relationship. If you would have told me a year ago that I would fall in love and dream about a future in a nice house with a white picket fence, a dog, and little redheaded kids running all over the place, I would have laughed in your face. Now, it's all I think about because yeah, as cliche as it sounds, it all changed when I met your daughter. I'm in love with her. I want nothing more than a future with her, and that entails protecting her from any and everything, including her father's judgement of my intentions. I taught her to shoot that gun, so that not only did she feel better but I did too. I am many things, Mr. Beale, but I am not self-centered. I learned to shoot guns, so that the next time someone came with the intention of hurting someone I loved, I'd be ready. Had I known thirteen years ago how to disengage the safety on a pistol, I could have saved my mother's life. I won't make that mistake again. I'd never put Chloe in danger, but if it came knocking, I'd guarantee you I'd be standing firm in front of her. I am not greedy. I live in an apartment complex with my friends. I have one car, and I have most of my money in a bank account I rarely touch. You know, Chloe's so much smarter than you give her credit for. She didn't choose me because she's shallow enough to fall for the lifestyle. She didn't choose DJ Titanium B. She chose Beca Mitchell long before she knew they were one person. She is a damn good teacher and exactly the sort of person that the schools here need. She doesn't judge people by their outward appearance or their hobbies or passions or _occupations_. She loves me, she loves those kids, and she loves you regardless of how proud you are, or aren't. Oh, and _we_ really love her too."

Richard's jaw had gone slack somewhere in the midst of Beca's rant. She turned nonchalantly to gaze back out across the city. Chloe's father was completely at a loss for words with no choice but to retreat back inside. He gave his daughter and wife a curious look as their eyes sparkled. Realizing they had heard it all, he just grunted and headed for the bathroom. Jenna matched Chloe's cheek-splitting grin then gently pushed her daughter out onto the terrace. Chloe came up, wrapping her arms around the DJ's waist. Beca looked up, almost surprised, then smiled when she saw her girlfriend standing there. She looked back to the city lights to keep Chloe from seeing her blush. Beca had a feeling Chloe had been closer to the action between her and Mr. Beale than originally believed.

"I thought it was your dad coming to throw me off the terrace," she whispered.

Chloe giggled softly, allowing silence settled for another few minutes before breaking it once more.

"So..." Chloe hummed. "Redheaded children, huh?"  
"Don't get too cocky there, Beale, I still have to survive the week," Beca replied.

"I think you'll be fine. You're Titanium, B."

"Really cute, Chlo. Really cute."

"Yeah, I thought so. Thank you though. No one's ever stood up for me like that."

Beca now turned in the older woman's loose embrace, cupping her girlfriend's cheeks and locking her eyes on bright blues.

"Chloe, you listen to me. I know my history speaks volumes, and it doesn't give you a very hopeful insinuation and gives me a bad rep, and I can try to stand her and justify it forever, but I wont. I made mistakes, but I swear I meant every word I just said. I can't give you an answer as to why or how because I don't know. All I can say is that the day you came into my life, the day of my mother's anniversary of her passing," Chloe gasped but said nothing as the brunette continued. "Everything changed. Stars aligned and moons shifted and all that jazz because there had always been something missing. Even with the awards and celebrities and parties and desperate women, there was a void I could not fill. I never expected to because I was convinced the only way I could fill it was to replace my mom, and that was impossible. Then, here you come bounding over my walls and imprinting on my heart, and you nestled right into that void like it was home. You made me whole. It's so cheesy and cliche, but it's all I can say, and don't look at me like that because you know how hard it is for me to talk, and-"

As Beca's words at last gave out, Chloe's lips gave in, closing the gap between them and sealing the realization. She was definitely in love with the brunette before her, and any doubts she had held were completely dissolved. Beca Mitchell was undeniably the one for her.


	12. Guilty Pleasures and Family Affairs

_A/N: Thanks everyone for the following and reviews. I'm on a roll now, so I'll keep trucking. I have a lot more reviews and PMs coming in, so I'm motivated. I had some writer's block and loss of interest for this story, but as I read it over in full, my mind came to life, so I kept writing. Here's the next chapter. It's a bit easy. Just a simple interaction of families, but the next chapter will be up very close after, so we'll have some more fun. Yes, we are getting close to the end, but I'm working on some other fics that I hope you enjoy just as much. Enjoy thoroughly and please drop a review!_

After putting Richard Beale in his place, Beca's lone days as hostess went quite smoothly. She allowed Andy to sit in the studio with her while she created some new mixes. Jenna sat with them awhile as well before her and Beca headed to the grocery store to get everything for Thanksgiving dinner. When they returned, Richard accompanied them to lunch on the Boulevard. He was quiet for the majority of it, but he didn't look as grumpy as he had all morning.

"So you've worked with Prince, huh?" Jenna asked, her eyes sparkling.

Beca shrugged with a warm smile. "We worked on a few things with him, yeah."

"Aubrey, Chloe and Stacie sang backup for him their sophomore year. It was an amazing experience. You work with Justin Timberlake too, right?"

"Yeah, we worked on his newest album together."

"Really? Oh gosh, that's so exciting!"

"Mom, can you please stop fangirling?" Andy huffed playfully.

"Oh, hush. This is exciting."

"Well, what is it like working at the restaurant?" Beca looked from Andy to Richard, awaiting an answer.

"Oh, uh, it's-just like any restaurant, but the people are always so nice," Andy replied with a nod. "It's fun. At the end of the day, I love it. I'm a real people person."

"That's good. I love restaurants like that. They had just got one of your chains in Salem when I was a freshman, and we ate there any time we had the chance. Best pulled pork sandwiches I'd ever eaten."

"Yeah, it's Dad's signature sauce, you know."

"Yeah, my dad loves it. He still eats there all the time, and his students introduced him to Instagram, so it gets rubbed in my face every time." Andy chuckled.

"Well, he's coming in Wednesday, right?" Richard asked, looking up and meeting Beca's eyes for the first time since their talk, and Beca was so surprised that all she could do was nod. "Okay, well I can definitely whip up some pulled pork sandwiches for his arrival."

"Thanks, Mr. Beale," Beca at last managed. "He would really like that."

"Please, Beca, call me Richard."

They shared a warm smile, causing Jenna to flash a megawatt grin similar to Chloe's, and Beca felt all of the pressure slip away gradually.

Chloe arrived home at four thirty to find Andy, Beca and Richard playing Rock Band on Jessie's giant screen. Jenna was preparing dinner when her daughter entered.

"She's one of the boys now," she warned Chloe playfully.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Great, I've officially lost my girlfriend," she deadpanned but quickly became serious. "How was Dad today then?"

"He was good. He started talking to her at lunch, and they have been ragging on each other ever since, good heartedly of course. It's quite a sight. Go up and see for yourself."

Chloe kissed her mom's cheek before skipping upstairs. She could already hear the battle above, and she smiled.

"Maybe you should stick to turn tables, Mitchell," Richard grunted. "How do you even reach them anyway? Step ladder?"

"Watch it, old man," Beca shot back. "Don't break a nail wielding those big boy sticks. I'm just glad we finally got you off that microphone."

"Yeah, Dad, my ears are still bleeding," Andy injected.

"Boys!" Chloe sung as she entered the room, the trio freezing and looking at her as she giggled. "Well, isn't this a sight to see?"

"Chloe, tell Dad that he can't sing!" Andy demanded childishly.

"Dad, you can't sing," Chloe instantly repeated.

"Chloe, I used to sing you to sleep," he reminded her. "Of course I can."

"Infants are like tone deaf," Beca scoffed. "Luckily she doesn't remember it. That would really be a bummer. She'd be too traumatized to listen to music."  
"Hey, take it easy there, DJ," Richard warned, a smile playing at his lips.

"Take it easy? You've been making short jokes for the better part of the afternoon. If you call me troll one more time, I-"

"Beca, please. Let's not make empty threats here. You're like the Indian in the Cupboard. Or a cake topper."

"She's fun sized, Daddy." Richard gave his daughter a stern glare. "Ugh, Daddy, no! Mommy, Daddy's up here insinuating innuendos!"

Richard just shrugged, throwing a smirk over his shoulder at Beca. Beca took it as a challenge and darted for him, jumping on his back. What she wasn't aware of was his killer reflexes. He ducked, and her tiny body full of momentum sent her flying over his hunched form and into the couch. Richard didn't get up, instead falling over in a fit of laughter on the floor. Andy nearly fainted, horror etched across his face as Beca too rolled onto the floor with a thud.

"This entire family's trying to kill me," she gasped. "Well played, Beale."

"She looked like one of those quarter-machine parachute men!" Richard roared.

"Who knew you could play leap frog so well!" Chloe breathed through laughter.

Andy slumped in relief, taking the brunette's joking as a good sign.

"I forgot to tell you I can fly," Beca deadpanned, getting up on her knees.

"She was like a puma!" Richard huffed, clutching his sides.

"Okay, definitely time to get out of this house."

Richard accompanied Beca and Chloe to the shooting range once the head Beale composed himself. Beca kept the radio up in the car once Richard requested hearing her mixes, and she didn't want to hear any of his jokes during the ride. Chloe was beaming all the way in the back seat. She was so good her girlfriend and father had done a complete one-eighty overnight. It was the most adorable thing to see them playing around and laughing with one another. Richard loved the mixes too, and she agreed to let him play some in the restaurant. Chloe adored the brunette so much that it was unbelievable. She had replayed Beca's speech from the night before all day at work as she worked with her kids, and it only drove her to do her best and be at her best. Today, she wanted to do well in the range to show her father as well as hear Beca tell her how proud she was. She had always strived to be daddy's little girl, but now she thrived to Beca's trusty partner. She vowed to never take it for granted.

Richard watched with awe as Beca loaded up her pistol in a few swift movements and aimed at the target. Her shots were superb as promised, hitting the chest and head easily, kill shots with no error. Carter came over to check on the women as he usually did when he was around, and he shook Richard's hand warmly.

"You're daughter's in good hands," Carter assured him. "Beca's the best shot we've ever seen. She beats me in competition, and I'm retired SWAT."

"That's actually very relieving," Richard replied with a grin. "She's good. I can't deny that in the slightest."

When Chloe stepped up for her practice, Richard took on an aura of sheer concern. He watched Chloe gracefully load her firearm, switch off the safety and take a deep breath. He was almost sure her eyes were shut. She was squared up, and her figure slowly relaxed until her shoulders almost slumped. Then she shot, and the bullet pierced the fresh target directly in the forehead. A few shots later, the chest was peppered, and the neck was ripped open. His face contorted into a proud expression, awe laced within it. Beca smirked at him.

"You're welcome," she stage whispered to him, earning a smirk from him.

"Kudos to you, pint-size."

"Thank you very much, Andre the Giant. I'll put it on your tab."

Chloe was now smiling as she emptied the clip. This was certainly going to be the best Thanksgiving.

Beca picked her father up Wednesday morning at the airport, and she was giddy, nearly unable to stand still as she searched for the six-foot-two brunette. When she saw him, her face split into a large grin.

"I almost missed you in the crowd, kid," he boomed, ruffling her hair. "You should've brought a step stool."

"Chris Rock, everybody!" she hollared to the busy terminal with an eye roll, earning some weird looks from passerby and a chuckle from her dad. "Hey, old man."

"Hey, Becs."

He dropped his bag, enveloping his daughter into a tight hug, kissing the top of her head tenderly.

"I missed you, Becs," he muttered into her hair.

"I missed you too, Dad."

"How did your week start?"

"Well...I had to give Chloe's dad a stern talking to Sunday night, but he came around the next morning, and we're like family now."

"That's my girl. I didn't want to have to spend Thanksgiving in jail."

"Oh, boy. Chill out there, Rocky."

"I can still throw a punch, Becs. You can take-"

"The badge off of the cop but not the cop out of the man," she recited as she led her father to the car. "I remember."

"I can't wait to meet this girl I've heard so much about."

"Yeah, she's a bit nervous, but I told her she would be fine. Besides, there will be some family secret revealed tonight you'll appreciate, I think."

"Oh yeah? What is it?"

"A surprise."

"Aww, come on."

"Stop whining, Big Mitchell. Let's go."

On the drive to the apartment, Beca informed her dad of the week as well as everything going on with work. He did the same, saying he had talked to Serge earlier in the week. Beca assured him that Serge would be stopping in for Thanksgiving dinner.

"That guy never turns down free pre-made food, does he?" Warren huffed.

"Not in a lifetime," Beca replied with a smirk.

Beca at last pulled into the apartment parking lot, and she helped her father with his bags before leading him up to the apartment. It had been quite awhile since he had visited, and he was getting a bit nervous about meeting the Beale family.

"Wow, you're sweating profusely, Papa Bear," Beca chided. "I'm kind of glad you weren't there with me to meet them. I would have had a breakdown seeing you like this."

"Hey, lighten up, okay?" he shot back with a playful bump to her shoulder. "You've never been serious enough about anyone for me to meet their parents. The only reason I met Natalie Cage's parents when you were a junior was because she was failing my class."

"Yeah, understandable. Trust me, I was a mess the day they came. I pulled an all-nighter at the studio then spent a few hours at the shooting range. It was crazy."

They reached the door at last, and Beca gave him a questioning look. He simply returned a nod, and she unlocked the door and pushed it open. The four Beales were in the kitchen, Richard and Jenna preparing breakfast while Andy went over scheduling for the restaurant he had to send back to the assistant manager.

"Hey, family!" Beca greeted with a smile. "This is my dad, Warren Mitchell. Dad, this is Richard, Jenna and Andy, Chloe's brother."

The family took turns shaking Warren's hand with a warm smile. When he finished with that, Beca grabbed Chloe's hand and led her over to her father.

"And, Dad, here's the main event," Beca grinned. "No offense, family, but _this _is Chloe."

"It's so nice to finally meet you, Chloe," Warren said enthusiastically, pulling the redhead into a hug that Chloe returned with equal enthusiasm. "Beca's been bending my ear about you, and that's something that took some getting used to."

"I hope they were good things," Chloe beamed.

"Of course they were. Although, you didn't do her much justice, Becs."

"Dad, no amount of words I could say would do her justice, and she's only said one sentence, so you just wait," Beca warned.

"Wow, you really did sand the edges on this one, Chloe," Warren went on, his eyes shining. "You've been reduced to mush, Becs."

"Oh, hush it, Dad."

"Is he lying?" Chloe asked, her eyes glinting with ernest suspicion, and her bright eyes sent Beca's heading spinning to where she could only shake her head dumbly.

There were laughs all around, and Beca scowled at them all but could not restrain the smile too long.

Soon after that, the two fathers were instantly immersed in a conversation about their trips over and their respective homes. Jenna gave Beca a warm smile as she set the table. Beca flopped down at the table between Chloe and Andy, Chloe stroking her thigh lovingly before leaning over and pressing her lips to the brunette's cheek.

"This is great," she hissed. "Thank you."

"Anything for you, Beale," Beca returned with a smirk.

"Yup, definitely reduced to mush," Andy muttered, earning Beca's elbow to his side. "What?"

Beca just gave him a knowing look, and he chuckled. Breakfast went smoothly with conversation light, nothing like the first dinner conversation between Beca and Richard. Beca sort of wondered what it would have been like between the two fathers had she not gone off on the older Beale. She couldn't even imagine. She just chuckled, reaching under the table and squeezing her girlfriend's hand with the goofiest of grins adorning her features. She couldn't even bring herself to care what Chloe Beale had reduced her to because it was Chloe, and that's all that mattered.

Warren went with Richard, Chloe and Beca to the range that afternoon but not before stopping in at the studio to see Serge as he had requested to see Warren as soon as he got in. Beca led the group to the back, Jenna and Andy also accompanying them to get a look at Beca's place of work before mother and son went off to the pier. Serge was sat as usual before one of the large mixing consoles looking over a budget plan for one of the new artists they were taking on. When he saw Warren, he jumped up and pulled the slender man into a bear hug.

"Warren!" he boomed with a cheek-splitting grin. "How have you been, buddy!"

"I've been great, Serge!" Warren replied with a chuckle as the man set him down. "I see you have been taking excellent care of my three children, namely my little girl."

"Of course. That's what godfathers are for. They can be pain in the asses sometimes, especially Amy, but hey. I know how to rope them into line."

"That's all I have to hear."

"Oh, and more visitors. Who may you be?"

"Uncle Serge," Chloe said sweetly as the man hugged her. "These are my parents, Richard and Jenna, and this is my big brother Andy."

"Ah, the red hair should have given it away," Serge chuckled, shaking hands with each Beale then looking over at Beca mischievously, causing her to roll her eyes. "Meeting the parents _and _the big brother, huh, B? Wow, this is definitely serious. I've never met the girlfriend before much less the parents. Your daughter is in the best of care, Mr. and Mrs. Beale. You wanna know why?" The Beales nodded in unison. "Because I really like Chloe, and I will personally string Beca up like a pinata and hand Chloe's school kids bats to beat her with if she screws this up."

"As you can see, he's a charmer as well," Beca pointed out sarcastically as the Beales laughed heartily. "It runs in the extended family as well."

"Well, we're glad to hear it," Jenna assured her with a wink.

"So you coming for dinner tomorrow, Serge?" Warren asked.

"Of course!" the man scoffed. "I never pass up free pre-made food. Come on, Warren."

"Yeah, he does always seem to show up to the house when we cook," Chloe assured them. "It's like a sixth sense. I always set out an extra plate."

"Another reason why you better not screw this up, Mitchell," Serge warned Beca.

"Sir, yes, sir," the brunette returned with a mock salute.

"It'll be nice to get to know more family," Serge grinned. "Chloe is part of our big family now, for good."

"Okay, I got the warning, oh great one," Beca deadpanned.

The room chuckled as the brunette rolled her eyes once again. Serge then gave them a tour of the studio, Jenna nearly fainting when they found Kelly Clarkson in one of the other studios. She hugged Beca warmly when they entered, and Beca introduced the singer to the family without hesitation.

"Wow, you're the blessing that tamed the great Beca Mitchell," she hissed to Chloe as they hugged. "I idolize you, and if you ever need help with these floozies around her, don't hesitate to send out an SOS tweet."

Chloe giggled, earning a curious glare from Beca, but she said nothing. When the tour was over, they chatted with Serge a bit longer while Beca went over her schedule with Lily for after the holiday and clearing it out in time for Christmas break that coincided with Chloe's. When she finished up, the group dispersed as Chloe and Beca took their fathers to range while Jenna and Andy went off.

"Your daughter is an amazing shot," Richard assured Warren as they watched Beca ready her firearm. "She was able to teach Chloe, and from the horror stories of her first couple of months, it was quite the challenge."

"Beca's been shooting since she was ten," Warren returned. "We would go every morning before school and work."

"So you're a shot too?"

"Yes, I used to be a cop. I moved up to detective before Beca turned seven."

"She started shooting because-of your wife, right?"

"Yeah. She wanted to make sure she could protect those she loved. She's always taken up the protector role. She went to jail in high school for beating up some guy that was messing with her pacifist best friend Jesse."

"The screenwriter."

"Yeah, that's him. She's not one to lay down. She held guilt about her mother for so long. You know, she-she couldn't find the safety on her mother's pistol before the man killed her, and-yeah."

"You know, I will admit I judged her based on many shallow and inconsiderate things, but she put me in my place that first night, and I can honestly admit that I trust her with my little girl's life. You did a stand up job, Warren."

"As did you. You know, all that Beca's told me about your daughter reminds me so much of Ella. She would love Chloe. I just know it."

"I would sure hope so. You know, I was always so hard on her, and I thought I was doing my best for her. She seemed happy, but now with Beca, I see her true happiness, and if my daughter loves her and accepts her, so do I."

"That's all a father ever wants. Happiness for his little girl."

When the family arrived home, Richard went straight into the kitchen to prepare dinner. Warren and Jenna fell into easy conversation, and Andy was down for a nap. Beca found Chloe on the terrace deep in thought. She wrapped her arms around the taller girl's waist, resting her head on her shoulder.

"What are you thinking about?" she whispered.

"How nice this is," Chloe replied in a dreamy voice. "How well our families are getting along. You and my dad are best friends now, and that's all I could ask for. I love you so much."

"I love you too, Baby, so stop acting like it's going to end. There will be many other holidays just like this."

The redhead turned in her arms. "You promise?"

"Yeah, I promise. Except that, maybe one day, there will be more little redheads running around and playing leap frog with their grandpa."

Chloe grinned, bringing Beca in for a deep kiss, her fingers flitting across the brunette's neck. She could definitely get used to holidays just like that.

As the family settled down for dinner, everyone's eyes were fixed on Warren to gage his reaction. He was already licking his lips when he saw the pulled pork sandwich.

"This looks great," he sighed in content. "We have the best barbecue place back home, and I love their sandwiches."

Beca smirked. The Beales and Beca awaited his first bite intently, stealing glances at one another as he lifted the sandwich to his lips. He bit in, chewed slowly, quirked in eyebrow then looked up.

"This...is-wow," he breathed after he swallowed. "This tastes just like-Richie's...Richard. No way! You own that place!" The table chuckled as Richard nodded. "Wow, that must be the family secret you warned me about, Becs."

"That's right," Beca replied with a triumphant grin.

"Wow, that is amazing. Seriously, the best barbecue on Earth."

"Thanks," Richard chuckled. "An old recipe I concocted in college."

"Genius."

"And soon, I will inherit by association," Beca added with a mischievous grin.

"Guess I'll have to create a height regulation," Richard sighed.

The table laughed once more as Beca pouted. Conversation flowed from then on easily once more, and by the time Beca and Chloe slid into bed after getting Warren set up in Jesse's room while Andy moved to the pullout couch, they had a full stomach and a huge grin adorning their features. Chloe curled into her girlfriend, comfortable with how the vacation was going, all issues with work and the apartment all but forgotten for the time being.

Thanksgiving came into the Mitchell-Beale temporary residence with the smell of delicious food being prepared by Chloe and Jenna. Warren and Richard had the football games on in the den, and Andy was on the couching gearing up for kickoff. Beca was finishing up a mix she had been working on, and when she finalized it, she headed downstairs with the family. It was a sight to see, the two families getting along so well. She kissed Chloe's temple and bid Jenna good morning before preparing a pot of coffee and heading out to get donuts down the street. When she returned, Jenna was sliding the turkey into the oven. The women spoke over coffee and donuts before Beca joined the boys in the living room. Football was another one of the DJ's guilty pleasures only those closest to her knew about. Chloe came rushing into the room when she heard the DJ screaming, sure that it was Richard who had made it so. When she saw the brunette glaring at the TV, she gave her a confused look.

"Uh, Becs, what are you doing?" she asked.

"Shhh, Babe, the Niners are playing the damn cowgirls," she hissed.

"Excuse me?"

"It's a Mitchell thing," Warren assured her. "Niners games are cherished."

"Beca, you like football?" Beca just nodded. "And just when I thought there were no more surprises in that little body."

"I'll call you on the short joke at half time, Beale," Beca warned, but never took her eyes from the screen.

Chloe smirked but was delighted to find yet another small fact about the woman she had so hopelessly fallen in love with.

It was a bit after four when dinner was ready, and Beca's throat was sore from yelling during the Niner win. Serge barreled into the house holding a pie, and he set it down on the table with a grin.

"Did you make that?" Chloe asked.

"No, he took it out of its original container and put it in a new one," Beca returned. "Serge doesn't bake. This guy burns water."

Warren chuckled, well aware of Serge's failure in the kitchen, and patted the larger man on the back sympathetically. A few minutes later, the large group settled down at the table. Richard said a quick prayer of thanks over the meal, and then everyone dug in, piling their plate high with everything on the table. Conversation was easy, Serge keeping the laughing going all the way around as he shared stories of Beca's first week in town with Jesse and Amy. Warren, Richard and Jenna shared anecdotes of a younger Chloe and Beca. Beca nearly spit up her mashed potatoes when Warren told them about her getting stuck in the toilet the first time she went to the bathroom by herself. Chloe had wine coming out of her nose in helpless laughter until Jenna told the table about the time Chloe got her head stuck in the railing of their stairs back home between the banisters. Five-year-old Chloe had sat there for at least an hour, refusing to call for assistance because her parents had warned her many times not to stick her head through it. At last, her father had come home from work to find her singing Disney songs as she hung her head tiredly.

"That wasn't funny!" Chloe pouted as her father chuckled.

"Her neck was red for days!" Richard breathed. "It was the cutest thing."

"It better have been!" Jenna boomed. "You spent fifteen minutes taking pictures before you pulled her out."

"Her head must have grown because I had to cover her neck in butter."

"Yeah, and it took me an hour to get it all out of her hair."

The table roared once more, and Beca pecked Chloe's temple as she laughed along with the others. Chloe couldn't help but giggle as well a few moments later, and with a big smile on her face, she listened while Richard shared the horror stories of her mother's hormones when pregnant with their last child. It was times like these that Chloe cherished. Never had her family been so warm towards her partners, but she could tell that this was just the beginning for her and Beca. It was serious. Everyone close to Beca had assured her of it, and though it was hard to believe that her parents had been okay with seeing their daughter on the front of a tabloid, she knew what it all meant. Beca was part of the family now, and she planned on keeping it that way.


	13. Do You Wanna Run Away Yet?

_A/N: Thanks everyone for the following and reviews. I'm definitely on a roll, so here's the next chapter. suggestions are welcome as I am running down on a plot line. This is some more fluff and also a meeting with Chloe's devil siblings. I just like adding characters. I just don't want this to end because I love you guys so much, so I'm prolonging it as best I can. Thank you._

Warren and the Beales departed from Los Angeles early on Saturday after heartfelt goodbyes from both Chloe and Beca. Jesse, Amy and Stacie had returned Saturday evening, and the five of them had discussed their respective holidays over pizza and drinks. Monday it was back to work for all of them. Beca had a meeting with Cynthia Rose to go over the concept for her next album, and Serge would also be helping the brunette hire a manager now that things were getting busier. He had several different candidates sent from multiple public relations firms to construct the team, and Beca wasn't all too excited but knew it was necessary.

Jesse had to be down at the Universal Studios building for a reading on his new script that he was working on with a fresh-faced director new to the city. Amy had to start shooting the indie movie she had been cast for as well, and she was already practicing her improvisation, having the group clutching their sides in merciless laughter.

Beca's schedule became filled pretty fast after Thanksgiving with meetings with Cynthia Rose, plans for a few tour dates, a trip to New York to work with Rihanna and attempts to get Chloe to let her pay the fee on the apartment. Chloe still had not been able to agree to it, and she was still staying at the apartment during the week. Beca was much too busy to push it too much, and she stayed with Chloe as much as possible. Chloe sometimes would have to just wait at the brunette's house when she was busy, and the redhead found herself at the range alone a lot more with Beca's busy schedule. They made it work somehow however, and the countdown week until they left LA for Oregon then Seattle began. Jesse and Amy would be accompanying them as well to Oregon, and it was a promising idea. However, Chloe was nervous because her father had informed her that her three oldest siblings would in fact be visiting during Christmas. Those snobs were much crueler than Richard could ever be, and they had always insulted Chloe's sexuality, treating her like some sort of mutant when she came out in high school. They weren't around too much longer after that, but when they had made time to come home, it was nerve-wracking hell. She wasn't afraid for Beca. She was more afraid of the fact that Beca wouldn't stand down if prompted or pushed. Yes, with nerves baring down on the redhead, tension was high.

It was the seventeenth of December, and Beca had just pulled an all-night shift in the studio with Cynthia Rose working on the first single of the new album. Stacie and Jesse had escorted Chloe home the night before at her request though Beca had asked her to stay the night at their apartment. Chloe reminded the DJ she had to pack though because they left for break the following day. Beca then remembered and had called it a day at the studio to go home and get her things together. She arrived at Chloe's exhausted and a tad bit grumpy later that night while the redhead prepared dinner. She had not slept in forty-eight hours, and she had only ingested a dozen red bulls, two pots of coffee and a bag of Cheetos. Yeah, not good.

"Hey, Baby, are you hungry?" Chloe asked as Beca entered the kitchen.

"Starved," the brunette huffed, taking a beer from the fridge. "You all packed?"

"Of course. What about you, Miss I'll-hold-off-til-last-minute?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm all good to go, Miss let-me-pack-my-entire-closet."

"Oh, hush. I'm prepared. After dinner, you're going to get some sleep. We're leaving with the sun."

"Ugh, why are we driving instead of flying again?"

"Because road trips are a good bonding experience."

"So is sex."

"Beca Mitchell!"

"Hmmm!" The DJ looked up innocently as Chloe smirked.

"Besides, we're going to two different places, and we'll be wasting too much pointless time in an airport."

"Thank God, Jesse and Amy are taking a separate car. I couldn't handle them for like twelve hours."

"Yeah, Stacie is not too thrilled about it, but she refuses to stay here all break. Christmas is usually slow for their parlor, so the bosses only kept two people on duty for the week."

"Yeah, she gets to meet the parents. Her turn to get thrown to the wolves."

"Not necessarily. You get to meet the horrid older siblings."

"What! Why?!"

"Because they'll be home for break."

"Okay, what's the rundown?"

"Well, it's pretty simple. Allie is a stuck-up priss with an eternal stick up her ass that props her nose up in the air. Carter is a whiny little wimp that follows Reagan around like a puppy dog, and Reagan is just a younger form of Allie."

"Wow, this sounds so fun. How the hell did your bubbly parents produce the spawns of Satan then have you and Andy? I don't understand."

"Yeah, I don't either. Sometimes I think that they were switched at birth. At least Aubrey will be there, and Aubrey always knew how to put Reagan in her place. Aubrey can be tightly wound, but she's not stuck up. She knows how to out-bitch them though."

"Well, I'm glad I got on Aubrey's good side after she maced me or else Christmas would be a real bummer."

"Sweetie, I wouldn't blame you if you change your mind. I won't sugar-coat it for you. They're horrid."

"Baby, I'm titanium, remember? I'll be fine. When in doubt, slam some tequila with Aubrey."

Chloe chuckled at her girlfriend's antics, but she trusted Beca, and there was no way she would let her evil older siblings scare her off. She would have Aubrey, Stacie and Andy there to help her out as well. She couldn't be worried.

The trip up to Oregon consisted of jam sessions, weird conversations with Amy and Jesse, who had placed a radio in Beca's car before departure. They had not advised their counterparts of this, so when Amy did some high-pitched whining noise into it, Chloe shrieked and Beca slammed on the breaks right outside of the apartment complex parking garage. It had taken Amy five minutes to stop laughing before telling them what it was, and Beca was unimpressed. Chloe's heart was pounding for the better part of half an hour following, but they made it onto the interstate after that without incident.

Chloe and Stacie were subjected to the Swansons, the Marbury's and Warren within two hours of arriving in Oregon, but it was nice. Jesse's parents were very nice, and they immediately took a liking to Stacie. Amy's parents were just happy to see Jesse and Beca after so long, but their innuendos were almost as bad as their daughter's if not worse and even had Amy herself blushing. Chloe and Beca had calculated staying in Oregon for three days and Seattle for four before heading home. Stacie would accompany them to Seattle to see the Beales and Posens as it had indeed been a long time. Stacie had lost her mother very young, and her father was always all over the world on business. Richard and Jenna had of course taken a liking to her when they met her over Thanksgiving during college freshman year, and she had been an honorary Beale ever since.

On their second day in town after breakfast, Beca ushered Chloe out of the house and into the car without a word. Chloe didn't bother to ask because she could feel something tense about her girlfriend as she drove. She had a hunch as to what it was they were doing, but she decided to wait to be sure. Sure enough, fifteen minutes later, they pulled up outside of the local cemetery. Chloe was immediately riddled with nerves at meeting Beca's mother because she knew how important this was. Beca stepped out of the car first, rounding it and opening the redhead's door. Chloe took the offered hand, and Beca led her through the winding brick paths of the cemetery. The sky was cloudy and grey, the sun almost fully eclipsed. Beca at last reached a large headstone a little ways into the place, and Chloe read the inscription.

Ella Noelle Mitchell

1971-1999

Beloved mother and wife

_"Although the sun has set on your life, it shall never set on my love for you,_

_Your body is gone, but your spirit remains. This assures you shall never be forgotten."_

Beca released Chloe's hand, taking a deep breath and sitting down on the grass beside the stone. Chloe took a seat beside her.

"Hey, Mom," she greeted, her voice cracking slightly before she cleared her throat. "It has been a really long time, huh?" She waited as if fully expecting a response. "I know, but just know that I've been working really hard. I know you hear the music, and I hope you like it. I know you're probably having a blast up there with Michael Jackson though. He was your favorite. Jesse, Amy and I are doing well though. Remember you met them a few years back when I brought them here. Anyway, I have someone else I want you to meet." She took Chloe's hand again. "She's a lot like you, I swear. Look, let's not even play dumb. I know you had something to do with it, didn't you?" She waited once more. "You sent her to me because you knew only a woman like this would be amazing enough to tame the beast everyone's been on about." She grinned now. "Well, Mom, this is Chloe. She found me the way you wanted, and she's here. When we first met, I wasn't all too sure. I mean, she had the worst aim known to man, so you forgot that."

Chloe pushed the brunette playfully. "Hello, Mrs. Mitchell," Chloe then greeted. "It's really nice to meet you. As you can see, this is what I put up with all day, but I wouldn't change it for the world. You did an amazing job with this one, and don't worry. She's turned into quite the hero. I bet you're as proud as I am of her. She's the very best, and thanks for letting me find her."  
As Chloe spoke to her mother, Beca's heart swelled. Tears gathered in her eyes as she watched the redhead with all the love and adoration in the world. Yeah, her mother would have definitely approved. She surely had something to do with this. No one would be closer to the sort of person Ella loved and was. Beca had the biggest grin on her face as Chloe kept on a lengthy conversation, not shy or freaked out at all by the approach. It was heart warming, and Beca knew right then and there that time didn't matter. Chloe was "the one".

The drive to Seattle was uneventful. Chloe was asleep with her head resting on the window while Beca and Stacie talked about everything under the sun. It was Stacie who gave Beca directions to the Beale residence as Chloe's snores now filled the cab. Beca decided to mess with her slumbering girlfriend as they parked in the drive.

"OH MY GOD! FIRE!" she screamed shrilly.

Chloe awoke with a start, her head crashing into the roof as she yelled, "QUICK! 9-1-1!"

She then looked around, confusion on her face, her eyes landing on Beca, whose face was red as she bit back a laugh. The redhead's eyes narrowed, and Beca and Stacie both lost it.

"You are evil," Chloe grunted, throwing open her door.

"You are lazy," Beca shot back. "I've driven the whole trip."

"You're the dude in this relationship. That's your job."

"How the hell is it-"

"Beca!" Jenna's voice came from the porch. "Stacie!"

Beca smirked as Chloe's jaw dropped. "Chloe!" she joined in.

Jenna laughed at her daughter's antics as she took each girl in a warm hug.

"How was the trip?" she asked.

"Don't ask her," Beca warned. "Red hear snored the whole way. She sounded like a grizzly bear."

"No I did not!" Chloe retorted.

"Yeah, you did."

"Prove it!"

"Oh, no worries," Stacie broke in. "I recorded it."

Jenna led the girls into the house after they gathered their bags. Aubrey was already sitting at the table with Richard and Andy, and she greeted the women as well. Chloe led Beca to her old childhood room, and it was completely opposite of Beca's old one in Oregon. While Beca's walls had been an off-white with record covers covering most of two of them, Chloe's walls were a summery yellow with a pink trimming on the bottom covered in posters of lady singers like Brittney Spears and Christina Aguilera. There was a Johnny Depp poster too right above the bed, but the Disney princess memorabilia brought in all attention. Beca smirked.

"Leave it up to you to let polly pocket throw up in here, Beale," she snorted.

"Shut up, Mitchell," Chloe growled.

"Okay, I'll completely forget any comments about your 'My Little Pony' comforter."

"Yes, you will, or you'll be sleeping on the floor with no comforter."

"Fair enough."

It was cold in Seattle for sure, much colder than LA. Oregon had been the same, snow-covered and chill. Chloe, Beca and Stacie joined the family around the table to catch up on the last month. Aubrey had promised Chloe she would wait until Chloe's parents were out of ear shot to chide her about the apartment still in her possession. This talk occurred on the drive to visit the Posens, but not much came of it aside from the usual half-hearted agreements and nods, and Aubrey was quite flustered.

After a joyous and comfortable reunion with the Posens, who shook Beca's hand warmly and spoke to her about the music industry a bit, the four returned to the Beale house for dinner. Chloe was exasperated to find that her siblings' cars were now in the drive behind Beca's, knowing that would be the first complaint they would have had upon arrival. Chloe gave Beca an apologetic look, but it was Aubrey that gave the brunette a gentle side hug.

"Only pay them necessary attention," she suggested. "It'll be okay."

Beca was believing the "switched at birth" theory a little more when the first thing she saw was three heads of blonde hair that matched neither Jenna nor Richard, but Chloe assured her that only Reagan had been a somehow-natural blonde. The three older siblings stood promptly when the four entered the home, standing side by side in a line as if waiting for an initiation of some sort. They looked like a college board or something, people Beca had only seen on TV.

"Chloe," Allie greeted monotonously, her hand stuck straight out to shake her baby sister's with a sullen face in place.

"Allie," Chloe returned confidently. "Hi, Reagan and Carter."

They returned a sour greeting before giving Aubrey and Stacie the same. When the blonde and taller brunette stepped back, Chloe had already grabbed Beca's hand and intertwined their fingers.

"Okay, guys, this is my girlfriend Beca," Chloe said a little less confidently.

"Hello," Beca replied, extending her hand.

Allie snorted without trying to hide her distate.

"Mother, you let her bring one home?" she threw over her shoulder. "For Christmas?"

"Tough crowd," Beca muttered, her hand dropping.

"Allie, do not act that way here," Richard warned. "It's Christmas."

"This is preposterous. Obviously you've lost your spine."

"He never had one," Carter reminded her with a smirk.

Chloe knew Beca was ready to say something, but Aubrey flanked her, and the two led her away into the kitchen. Beca was squeezing the life from Chloe's hand, but she released it the moment they were out the back door.

"You weren't kidding," Beca breathed, her body shaking with anger.

"Yeah, I know," Chloe said sadly. "I'm sorry, babe."

Beca saw her girlfriend's teary eyes and pulled her into a tight embrace. "Hey, it's okay, Babe. It's not your fault they're the way they are. That's them. You're you, and you're perfect to me. You're the only one that matters. I'd say screw them, but it seems that the eternal stick up there will have to do."

"Wow, you've reduced the sharpshooter DJ to mush, Chlo." Aubrey smirked.

"Yeah yeah, so I've heard," Beca returned with a smile.

Christmas was bittersweet in the Beale household. Andy and Chloe stayed around Beca as protection from their older siblings' homophobic actions, and Beca used her tactics of tuning out to avoid any and all confrontation from the older siblings. Christmas eve did indeed wind up calling for tequila shots with Aubrey and her wild mother after Reagan made some very degrading comments about the 'alt lesbian Chloe dragged home like a stray dog', but it was all good. Beca paced herself this time, and she was able to walk into the Beale house on her own accord afterwards without saying a word to the twins. When it came to sitting down at Christmas dinner, Stacie and Chloe flanked the small brunette, but this went a little different with no tequila in sight.

"So how has work been going, Beca?" Jenna asked after prayer, a prayer which Allie scoffed at saying "How can you pray with God's abominations at the table" where Richard averted his gaze to his lap and Jenna replied with a warning glare. Beca had just smirked at the older Beale child and proceeded to give Chloe's hand as a squeeze as the redhead's eyes welled up. It had surely been a rough few days, and Chloe was about to blow whereas Beca stayed strong for both of them.

"It's been busy actually," Beca replied.

"Yeah, Beca went to New York at the beginning of the month," Chloe piped, her eyes sparkling as always when given the chance to boast about her amazing girlfriend. "She was working with Rihanna."

"Oh my goodness, really!" Jenna squealed. "That's amazing."

"She's probably hot as you-know-what in person, huh, B?" Andy asked jokingly.

"I wouldn't know, Bro," Beca returned with a smirk. "Some bubbly redhead was clouding my thoughts all too much to really get a good look."

Jenna and Richard beamed at the small brunette while Carter and Reagan scoffed. Stacie smiled down at Beca as well.

"I think I've just lost my appetite," Allie huffed, setting her fork down.

"Oh, stop being such a drama queen," Chloe retorted, at last finding her voice. "Your tool of a boyfriend wouldn't know romance if it rear-ended him."

"Excuse me?"

"Now, Chloe, the Lord is at this table," Beca chided, causing even Jenna to giggle.

"Yeah, but he's already abominated us, so might as well milk it," Chloe replied sweetly. "Please pass the mashed potatoes."

"I still don't understand how you're okay with having this..._heathen _at our dinner table, Richard," Allie scoffed, her father wincing at the use of his first name.

"The same way they're okay with you sitting at the same table with that stick up your ass, _Allison,"_ Chloe shot back.

"Okay, that's enough," Richard at last sighed. "Allie, we like Beca. She makes your sister happy, and therefore, she's part of this family. You can keep your snide comments to yourself. It's Christmas for God's sake, and I'm sure God is just as unhappy with your childish judgmental outbursts as he is with anything else."

"Seriously?" Allie burst. "Leave it to the 'backbone' of this family to deface us all."

"Well go marry that tool and change your last name," Andy now interjected. "Oh, and take Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum with you."

Andy had never been one to join into confrontation, but he had had more than enough of his childish older siblings, and he happened to adore Beca for how well she treated Chloe. That should have been enough for any older sibling.

After dinner, Chloe and Beca sat in the backyard with Richard, Stacie and Andy indulging in a few beers.

"Kudos to you once again, Mitchell," Richard sighed. "How you didn't bite my oldest daughter's head off is beyond me."

"Well, no one gave me a chance to cut in, so don't flatter me," Beca smirked.

"I still respect you. Either way, I've excepted you, and that should be your only concern."

"Trust that it is, Father Beale. Really, as long as Chloe accepts me, I'm okay. Besides, I used all my good words on you at Thanksgiving, so I was a bit lost on that."

"I love you," Chloe whispered, kissing the brunette's cheek.

"I love you too," Beca replied.

"Yeah, DJ, you're good," Stacie agreed. "The first time I met Allie, I nearly beheaded her on Christmas Eve. She was putting Chloe down about becoming a teacher, and I told her that maybe if she had had Chloe as a teacher, she wouldn't be such an savage prick."

Richard chuckled. "Good memories," he huffed. "You know how to pick 'em, Chlo-bear. You really do."

"Of course I do, Daddy," Chloe squeaked. "I'm the golden child."

"Hey!" Andy snapped. "I resent that."

"Okay, golden 'girl'. How's that, Princess?"

"I can deal with that."

After Jenna finished in the kitchen, the family decided to trade gifts, Allie and her twin minions skipping out on it to go to a bar. Richard and Jenna had had trouble finding a gift for Beca, but they couldn't skip on it, so they had settled on giving her two tickets two the San Francisco football game taking place that Sunday. Beca nearly jumped through the roof when she saw them, and she could not believe how good the seats were. She jumped on Richard's back hooting and hollering, creating the NFL football theme song a capella style, with only her mouth. Chloe decided she could handle going to her first ever pro football game with the brunette on their way back home, and it worked since Chloe still had another week off of school. Chloe's parents gave their youngest daughter a jersey to wear so that she didn't stick out like a sore thumb, and Beca assured them she had one she had thoughtlessly packed. To say Beca was surprised would be an understatement.

In addition to the jersey, the Beale parents also gave Chloe the keys to a brand new 2012 Honda Civic she had to pick up at the dealership in LA. Chloe tackled her father in a hug when they explained the set of keys, and she almost asked Beca to bypass the game and get her home. Beca however read her mind and gave her a stern look that said, 'don't even think about it'.

While Stacie opened her present from the Beales, Beca slyly pulled Chloe outside onto the pack porch after grabbing her backpack upstairs. She had Chloe sit down on the porch swing while she opened the bag. The first thing she pulled out was a sleek black case. Inside was a shiny new .38 pistol, and Chloe gasped.

"Beca, how-" she began but couldn't form words.

"Better shooters need better guns," Beca replied. "I see the passion in you, Chlo, and I knew this would be nice, but that's not all."

Beca then pulled out another box from her pocket, a much smaller one. Chloe gasped as Beca opened it.

"It's not what you think," she replied with a weak smile. "It's a promise though, Chloe. You bulldozed into my life just a few months ago, but you have made me such a better person. You coaxed things out of me that even my closest friends don't know details on, and you never judged me for it. You showed me that anything is possible, including falling in love after a streak of broken hearts and bad reputations, or hitting a target after starting off with the worst shot in the history of firearms." Chloe giggled. "I am hopelessly in love with you, Chloe Aria Beale, and I promise you that when the time is right, I'm going to ask you to spend the rest of your life with me. I'm just going to give you a little bit longer to decide if you wanna run or not."

Beca smirked, and Chloe's tears splashed over onto her face as Beca slid the ring on her finger. She threw her arms around the brunette, their foreheads resting together.

"I'm ready whenever you are," the redhead whispered. "I love you, Rebeca Noel Mitchell."

"I love you too. More than you will ever know, Beale. And dammit, there you go reducing me to mush as always."

Chloe giggled, kissing the brunette's nose before pulling away.

"Okay, let me go get your present," she said quickly before darting inside. She returned minutes later with a box in hand, and she handed it to Beca. Beca unwrapped it cautiously.

"It's not a bomb or anything, Babe!" Chloe scoffed. "Can you please open it this Christmas? That would be nice."

"Watch it, Red," she retorted, ripping off the paper at last.

When she opened up the box, her jaw dropped. There was a pair of headphones there, but not just any headphones. They were red with white trim. Across the top of the chunky set read "Titanium B". A large "B" adorned each earmuff's sides in intricate white lettering, bullet holes decorating the entirety of the pair. Sitting beside the headphones was a smaller box. Beca opened it to find a titanium locket. She popped it open tenderly to reveal a picture of Chloe on one side, and a picture of Beca's mother on the other side.

"Your dad helped me," Chloe informed her as Beca's jaw dropped further towards the floor and her fingers ran across each photo. "He gave me that picture, and it has your initials on the front. It's just-when you went to New York, I felt like I should've given you something, like a superstition to keep you safe, so I thought I'd do it for Christmas, but I don't know. I know you're not much for jewelry usually, but I wanted you to feel safe although you have guns, so that doesn't make sense, but-"

Chloe's rant was cut off by Beca's lips pressed firmly to hers. They pulled apart seconds later, Beca smirked.

"For God sakes, Beale, shut up," she chuckled, Chloe feigning shock. "You're adorable, and this is the most perfect gift anyone has ever given me. My mom definitely knew what she was doing sending me to you. I love you."

"I love you, too."


	14. She's not One to Hold Her Tongue

_A/N: Thanks everyone for the following and reviews. I'm definitely on a roll, so here's the next chapter. This one gets a bit scary, but I guarantee you I won't leave you hanging too long. I already started on the next chapter. I just hope you don't hate me, but I'm not much for predictable endings, so..._

Chloe awoke the morning after Christmas, and she mentally did a victory dance. Her older siblings' plane had been scheduled to leave at six that morning. It was nine. With the football game Sunday, Chloe and Beca had extended their trip, and Jesse would be coming up to get Stacie later that night before they headed home the following day. Beca had offered to get her a plane ticket, but with weather being what it was, Jesse figured this would be easier.

Chloe was surprised to find Beca wide awake sitting at her desk. She gave her a curious look. Beca was pale, and she seemed quite anxious.

"Beca Baby, what's wrong?" she asked drowsily, sliding out of bed.

"The she-devil and her minions are downstairs," she huffed. "I went down to get coffee, and they were in there telling Mama Beale that their flight was cancelled due to weather conditions, so they're waiting for another flight."

"What? Did they say anything to you?"  
"Chlo, you know how grumpy I am before I get my coffee. If I would've gone in there, I would've snapped. I turned around and darted back up here."

Chloe smiled. "Aww, honey, I'm so proud of you. I know you would usually be all for confrontation, wouldn't you?"

"It's part of the badass reputation, ya know?"

"Come on. Let's get you some coffee."

Chloe led Beca downstairs into the kitchen where Stacie and Jenna sat at the table. Chloe poured her and Beca a mug of coffee as Beca flopped down at the table. Stacie looked quite irritated, and Jenna just looked exhausted.

"You're sisters and Carter might be here a bit longer," Jenna huffed to Chloe.

"So I've heard," Chloe replied, annoyance evident in her tone. "Let's see if we can get through one more day." She patted Beca's hand.

Beca was sighing in content after her first sip of coffee. "I feel much better," she assured the table, and they giggled.

"If you need some stress relief, I can rub you down, DJ," Stacie offered.

"I'll keep that in mind," Beca smiled before catching Chloe's glare. "Uh, yeah for, no, I'm good. I'm really good. Thank you."

Chloe then smiled as Stacie smirked. As they sat there, the front door opened to reveal Aubrey.

"The older siblings were driving me crazy!" the blonde huffed, sitting down beside Stacie. "Aren't yours gone?"

"Sorry to disappoint, Bree, but they're flight was delayed," Chloe replied.

"Ooh, bummer. Well, we can always show Beca around."

"Yeah, that sounds good. We have to stop by the restaurant anyway. I promised her all-she-can-eat barbecue, and she has to hand over some mixes to Andy."

"Really? Wow, Papa Beale is finally switching up the music in that place?" Stacie chuckled. "Thank goodness."

"Hey, that music was classic," Aubrey defended.

"That music was ancient."

"Okay, girls," Jenna chuckled. "I have to get to the office, so I'll see you later."

With that, she left the girls to their coffee. Beca and Chloe finished their coffee before heading off to take their showers. Beca took the upstairs bathroom while Chloe took it downstairs. As usual, Beca was done first. She dressed in her warmest gear before clasping the locket Chloe had given her around her neck, tucking it into her shirt. She then pulled her new earphones, which matched her outfit, around her neck, feeling at home with them present. She then headed downstairs, and as she did, she found Aubrey and Stacie still in the kitchen talking quietly, irritation in their tones. She then saw why. The three older Beale children were sitting in the living room with coffee mugs talking loudly. When Allie saw Beca, she scoffed. Beca took a deep breath. She had made it this far. She could handle a few more minutes.

"Daddy and his little lesbian baby are a disgrace to this entire family," Allie announced, her twin minions cackling. "Those poor kids are being taught by a dyke to sing pop forty hits."

Nope, Beca wasn't going to make it. She stomped back into the living room, standing right over Allie which was almost eye level since she was so short.

"You listen here, alright?" she growled. "You can say anything you want about me, but don't you dare talk about Chloe in that way around me. You're a disgrace yourself treating this family the way you do. At least Chloe is helping children instead kissing ass on Capitol Hill with a pole up their own. You're not any better than anyone in this house. Where is bagging on Chloe getting you on your social ladder, huh? You get your two minions laughing, and it gives you cool points?"

"Don't you dare-" Allie began, rising to her feet, but Beca didn't back down.

"No, you talk too damn much as it is. Now you get to listen to me. Yes, I'm gay. Yes, so is Chloe. No, it's not some contagious terminal disease, and we're doing just fine with it. Her staff doesn't mind, and neither do our parents. I'm just really glad Chloe didn't turn out anything like you because she would end up like you three. All you have is each other, and you're gonna end up alone or with someone who doesn't care about anything other than the status you hold. I hold plenty of status, and I didn't have to kiss a president's ass to get it, so I don't want to hear another word out of your mouth. You wanna see what happens when you test a heathen? Try me!"

With that, Beca jerked forward slightly, causing the taller girl to flinch back. Beca then smirked and turned around to find Aubrey, Chloe and Stacie biting back a laugh. Chloe grabbed Beca's hand and led her to the door.

"Later, Aca-bitches!" Aubrey threw over her shoulder, and Beca was so heated that she didn't bother to ask about the prefix.

The girls slid into Aubrey's jeep and burst into laughter, calming Beca down instantly.

"I can't say I didn't see it coming," Chloe sighed with a megawatt grin.

"If they had ragged on me, no problem, but once they rag on you, it's on!" Beca assured her with a glint of crazed rage in her eyes before smiling triumphantly.

"You did very well, Baby. Aubrey can't stand that close. She would definitely puke all over her, like that time when we were twelve."  
"Shut it, Chloe!" Aubrey warned.

"No, what did she do!" Beca asked excitedly. "Tell me, tell me, tell me!"

"Yeah, tell us!" Stacie backed.

"Well," Chloe began, waving off the glare the blonde was shooting her way. "We were playing in the treehouse out back, and Allie came and told us to get out so those three could go in. Aubrey and I were hungry anyway, so we were already coming down. Well, Allie got impatient, so on my way down, she grabbed my leg and tugged me. I fell and hurt my knee. Aubrey jumped down to check on me, and Allie pushed her away. Aubrey stepped back towards her, and Allie asked her what she was gonna do. Before Allie could push her again, Old Faithful here erupted, and Allie bathed like the rest of the day. She managed to get the twins too, so it was all a win-win, and we took control of the treehouse."

Beca and Stacie were in a fit of laughter, and even Aubrey couldn't help but giggle at the age-old story. Chloe had never forgotten it, and if their everlasting friendship hadn't been sealed before that, it certainly was that day.

Aubrey pulled into the lot of the Beale family restaurant as Beca pulled out a stack of CDs with her name scribbled on each. Chloe led her in, and some of the usual customer's waved at her. An older woman came up to her and gave her a warm hug.

"It's been awhile, Chloe!" she gushed. "How's teaching in LA?"

"It's going very well, Marge," she replied with a smile. "This is my girlfriend Beca, and you remember Aubrey and Stacie. Beca is an LA DJ."

"Oh really? Well, you know what they say. DJ's have great hands."

"Oh my God, Marge!"

"She has a point, Babe," Beca smirked.

"Well, I'll be the judge of that. Later."

Chloe then led Beca to the back where Richard was in his office. Andy waved to them as he carried trays of food out of the kitchen. Richard looked up with a warm smile when he saw the girls, setting down the papers in his hand.

"Hey there, DJ. You got the goods?" he asked, standing.

"You know it," Beca replied, handing over the stack of CDs.

"Hey, Daddy, Beca did in fact have to put Allie in her place just a bit ago," Chloe informed him with a victorious smile.

"Aww, and I missed it!" Richard huffed. "Damn!"

"Don't worry," Stacie said. "I recorded it."

"You record everything!" Chloe responded, shoving the girl playfully.

"Yeah, you wouldn't believe it."

"Ugh! I don't even want to know!"

After Stacie finished showing Richard the video, to which he laughed heartily and clapped Beca's shoulder in a proud congratulatory manner, the girls bid him and Andy a good day before heading off. They drove around the city, showing Beca the sights and exploring the place. In the afternoon, they returned to the restaurant where Beca tried just about everything on the menu. Aubrey watched her with a concerned expression as she dug into her third platter.

"Where do you put all of it?" she hissed conspiratorially.

Beca just shrugged as she gulped down a rib. "It's a skill."

When Beca at last finished up, handing Andy two hundred-dollar bills, they left once more for a little more sight-seeing before returning the Beale house. They found Jenna already back in the kitchen, and when she saw Beca, she flashed a large grin.

"So I heard about Allie's firm talking to," she informed them. "She was a bit flustered when I arrived, so Reagan gave me the rundown, with a few side notes."

"Stacie has the video if you would like a fuller experience," Chloe smirked.

Stacie once again showed the video, and Jenna was clutching her sides in unrestricted laughter by the end of it.

"I really like her, Chlo-Bear," she at last breathed. "I fully trust you with my daughter's well being, Beca. That was impressive."

"I promise you that it's only in Chloe's honor," Beca replied, kissing her giggling girlfriend's temple.

"That's all that matters."

"MUSH!" Aubrey exclaimed, earning a glare from Beca. "What? It's true."

The day at last came for Beca and Chloe to head home, and it was a round of tears and heartfelt goodbyes as they weren't sure when the next visit would be. Beca's schedule was filling up fast, crammed until well into February. Their last stop before him was the beloved Niner football game, and Chloe could not believe it was her girlfriend screaming like a madman next to her. Chloe had been to enough high school football games as a cheerleader that she understood what was going on, but this nostalgia eclipsed anything she had ever experienced. Beca had assured her she looked beautiful in her white jersey with maroon letters and numbers. Beca's own jersey was a specialized black one with "Mitchell" on the back above a red number 47. Chloe was excited to see her girlfriend so enthusiastic and riled up over a simple sport. When something went wrong for her team, she would yell and get angry, calling the referee names. When they did something right, she was screaming in triumph with the crowd. Chloe began yelling too, and Beca beamed at her. It was all in all a great time. At the end, Beca was all smiles. She held Chloe's hand as they exited the field.

"I haven't been to a game since I was twelve," the brunette gushed. "We actually went to a division game in Seattle. It was awesome, but this was way better."

"Because you were with me?" Chloe asked knowingly.

"Oh, no, because we beat the Raiders." Chloe glared at her. "Andddd because you were here, Babe. Don't worry."

"That's what I thought."

"You know, all in all, this was like, the best Christmas I've had since before my mom died. I mean, my dad was home a lot after he became a teacher, but it was just him and I, so you know. We were both really quiet about it. It was always my mom decorating and baking and singing carols. I mean, I'm sure she laughed at us for days when she saw the tree we decorated. Dad and I had no sense of style at all back then."

"Oh, and you do now?"

Beca grasped her heart. "Ouch, Chlo, that was cold."

"It's just the weather. Don't be such a pansy."

Beca scoffed. "The sarcasm's rubbing off on you. Not good at all."

Chloe pulled Beca in as they reached the car and gave her a searing kiss. She ran her tongue along Beca's lower lip, and the brunette granted access, a deep groan escaping her. When they at last pulled away for air, their foreheads rested against one another.

"All warm and fuzzy now?" Chloe asked.

"Uh, yeah," Beca replied dumbly. "Yeah, I'm all good."

When the couple returned to LA, the first thing they did was check in with Serge before heading out to Chloe's apartment. They freshened up there then went to the bar they were meeting Jesse, Stacie and Amy at. It was a nice place close to the range, a bar that Stacie liked since they had cheap specials during the week. It wasn't too far from Chloe's complex, and it had good music. Quite a few people recognized Beca as they made their way into the VIP lounge, and she had to stop and sign a few autographs before ordering her drink. The crew once again talked about their break, Beca gushing over the Niner game to which Jesse was highly jealous. Jesse's parents had been grilling him all week about Stacie, and he had a headache by the end of Christmas dinner. Amy's parents had joined the Swansons and Warren for the meal, so Amy and Jesse were both subject to the talk. Amy cracked jokes all night long about Jesse's submission to the tall brunette, and she had teased him about it all the way home. At last, two a.m. rolled around all too quickly in the bar, and the group called it a night since Stacie had to be at work the following afternoon, and Amy had to be on set at eleven. As they were walking out however, Beca found herself being grabbed by the arm. She looked up to find a very familiar face, the snarling attacker she had saved Chloe from. She shoved him off.

"Dude, what the hell is your problem?" she growled.

"Oh, you don't remember me?" he smirked. "You don't remember putting a gun to my face and breaking up my little party with your bitch?"

"Who do you think you're calling a bitch? You're scum. That's it."

He cackled menacingly. "Watch it, _DJ_. Yeah, I know who you are, and I can have you floating in the ocean before you can cry 'Mommy'."

"You think you scare me, you piece of shit?" Jesse was now grabbing the brunette's arm, urging her to come on while Chloe came up behind them.

"Oh, speaking of the redheaded devil herself. Why don't you come finish what we started? This time, we can leave your little bitch behind."

"Fuck you!" Beca snarled, pulling away from Jesse's grasp.

Suddenly security was heading towards them, and the man smiled.

"This isn't over, DJ," he said softly. "Next time, you won't be so lucky."

He flashed his gun as the security came closer then turned and walked away. Beca took in the group of glaring men behind him, all in fine tailored suits and slicked back hair. They were definitely criminals of a more organized kind, but Beca only saw red now. Jesse gently pulled her away, Chloe grabbing her hand.

"What the hell was that?" Stacie hissed, the security guard walking away when the group dispersed. "What was he talking about, Chloe?"

"He-uh, he, attacked me back in September," Chloe managed, tears stinging her eyes. "Beca came and pointed a gun at him, and he took off, but I guess he didn't forget."

"And you didn't mention it!? That guy looked pretty important. I don't like that."

"Chloe, we're getting you out of that apartment, and I don't wanna hear any argument about it, do you understand?" Beca snapped, her hands balled into fists.

All Chloe could do was nod, the fear overwhelming her. She knew that Beca was angry, not necessarily at her but angry. She had put off moving out of the apartment long enough, and she knew Beca was right, but still her pride chided her. When Beca and Chloe reached the apartment, their three friends waiting outside, Beca told her to pack quickly.

"Babe, please calm down," the redhead begged.

"Look, I'm sorry, Chloe, but this shit has to stop," Beca grunted, pulling suitcases from the closet where they had been set earlier.

"Well, I know, but that's why I got a gun. I don't want you to have to-"

"Chloe, fuck the gun, okay? Those guys weren't playing. Stacie's right. That guy looked important, and I can bet you he's in something deeper than we can ever imagine. Did you see all those guys with him? He could hand off a picture of me from any tabloid and come after us. There's pictures of you too. We wouldn't know who it would be, but he knows you stay here."

Chloe was sobbing silently now. "I'm sorry, Becs. I really am."

"I don't want you to be sorry, Chloe! If something happens to you, what the hell am I going to do? How would I tell your parents! How would I explain it to Aubrey or Andy or my father! I wouldn't be able to live with myself if-"

At that, the brunette gasped and fell to the floor in a heap of unrestricted sobs. Chloe immediately rushed to her side, embracing her girlfriend, Beca's hands gripping the arm over the brunette's chest.

"I _cannot _lose you, Chloe," she breathed. "You're my everything. You are everything to me. You're the only one I've ever fallen in love with, and I cannot let one of those sick bastards hurt you. I don't care about the fuckin' money for this apartment. They can't put a price on you. Do you understand?"

Chloe nodded silently, her head resting against the brunette's shoulder. They sat like that for a few moments until each woman calmed down then they stood, Chloe gathering bags by the door and starting on another bag of her most important items for the time being.

"I'm gonna take these down to the car," Beca said softly. "And Babe?"

Chloe turned to her. "Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you too, Beca, so much."

Beca walked over, kissing her girlfriend softly on the lips before turning around and heading to the door with the bags. She walked down the two flights of stairs, going for the side entrance. Beca's car was parked on the other side of the building beneath the carport, and Jesse was parked there as well. She loaded the bags into the car's trunk, giving Jesse a wave to say they were almost done. He nodded then she headed back down the side alley towards the entrance. Before she reached the door however, a gunshot rang out, the brunette's tiny body falling to the cement ground. She turned over, blood gushing from her chest. When she looked up, she found the face of Chloe's attacker grinning down at her with the most menacing of glares. He pulled the gun from her holster, tossing it behind her as she gripped her chest and stared into his eyes.

"Tell me," he hissed. "Are you scared yet?"


	15. Not So Titanium

_A/N: Thanks everyone for the following and reviews. I'm definitely on a roll, so here's the next chapter. This one gets a bit scary, but I guarantee you I won't leave you hanging too long. I already started on the next chapter. I just hope you don't hate me, but I'm not much for predictable endings, so..._

Chloe's heart stopped in that moment, the gunshot shaking the house. She somehow knew who it was and why. She wasted no time. She grabbed her pistol from her purse, the fresh .38 and loaded it before rushing out of the apartment. Jesse, Amy and Stacie were dead still in the car. They had seen the dark SUV drive up, the man from the club step out with a gun in hand, but there were at least half a dozen more men in the SUV. Stacie had quickly called the police, but when they heard the gunshot ring out, their bodies froze. Beca.

Chloe quietly opened the front entrance and ran for the mouth of the alley beside the building. She then heard the man's familiar husky voice.

"Tell me, are you scared yet?" he hissed, so close that Chloe shuddered.

Chloe took a deep breath, her heart threatening to burst forth from her chest as her vision blurred slightly. Chloe knew how quick she had to be. She had one shot, just one shot. She had to find him, zone in and shoot in a matter of seconds. She knew Beca had been hit, and the brunette's life was hanging in the balance. This was a chance to prove to Beca and everyone else she wasn't just a damsel in distress. Beca loved her more than anything in the world, and she had vowed to be her trusty partner. She could not let her die in that alley on her behalf. She held back the tears, blinking them away before disengaging the safety and cocking the pistol. She heard Beca yelp and metal clatter against the cement, Beca's gun.

_THREE...TWO...ONE..._

Chloe stepped around the corner carefully, and she could see the man's blood-hungry eyes fixed on Beca's form, his gun aimed at the brunette as she yelped in pain clutching her chest. Chloe aimed her gun, taking in one deep breath and closing her eyes. She had to do this for Beca if no one else. The only reason she _could_ do this was because of Beca. That was the love of her life beneath that man's gun, and Chloe didn't care how powerful he was or what his goons could do. As the breath was expelled, her shoulders slumped, and she pulled the trigger. The shot rang out, disrupting the silent alley, Chloe now holding in a deep breath. Time seemed to stop in that moment as Chloe opened one eye, then two. She saw no damage to the man, and he had his gun pointed at her. He had a crazed smile on his face, and his gun looked as if it were smoking. Beca looked up, her vision going cloudy now. Then, without warning, the man slumped backwards to the ground. Chloe looked down at her body, feeling for a wound but found nothing. She rushed to the brunette's side, now able to see the smoking. gaping hole in the man's forehead. She pulled Beca into her arms. She screamed for help, and that was all her friends needed to hear. The SUV that had dropped off the man sped off when they saw their leader in the alley fall. Jesse, Amy and Stacie rushed over to their friends as Chloe gripped Beca.

"Baby, stay with me okay," she breathed desperately. "Baby, please. Just stay with me, okay? Just, I'm right here. Help is coming."

"We called the police, Becs," Jesse assured his friend, moving hair from her sweat-drenched forehead. "You're gonna be okay."

"See, Baby?" Chloe went on as Beca coughed up blood, shifting onto her side. "They're coming. Baby, please. I'm so sorry. Don't leave me."

"C-chlo-" Beca choked, her face absent of color. "T-t-titanium, remember?"

"Yeah, that-that's right, Baby, titanium."

"C-Chlo-"

"Yes, Baby."

"I-I changed my-mind. I d-don't wanna-give you-time to run a-after all. Marry me."

"Yes, Baby, yes, but that means you have to be strong for me, okay? You have to stay with me."

"K-k."

Chloe's eyes were threatening to spill over as she gripped her half-conscious girlfriend. The cops were taking their sweet time as were the paramedics. Chloe needed to calm down. She needed everyone to calm down as the group silently cried, so she did the only thing she knew to do.

_"I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose, fire away, fire away_

_Ricochet, you take your aim, fire away, fire away_

_Shoot me down, but I won't fall, I am Titanium_

_Shoot me down, but I won't fall, I am Titanium"_

X_X_X_X_X

Six hours. It had been six hours since Jesse had given up on paramedics and rushed Beca to the hospital himself. Six hours since they had rushed Beca into surgery. Six hours since she had gone limp in Chloe's arms. Six hours since Chloe had begun to expect the worse and feel the guilt seep into her very soul. In six hours, Warren, the Beales, the Swansons, the Marburys, and Aubrey had jumped on a plane to LA. In six hours, Serge and Lily and Beca's new management team were at the hospital after dodging multiple reporters at the doors. In six hours, Chloe had admitted to everyone about her attack months ago, about Beca being her saving grace at the last possible moment. In six hours, the group had been questioned extensively about the man Chloe shot, and in six hours, none of it mattered anymore. Richard continued to say that the longer the doctor went absent, the better. It meant they still had hope. Chloe had begun to believe him. Then the doctor did finally exit Beca's room, the full waiting room rising to their feet awaiting the news. The doctor stood before Warren, a look of pure apology in his eyes. Once more, the world seemed to stand still, time freezing over as the room took in a deep inhale and held it, holding on to the last sliver of hope that they could muster. The doctor registered the faces of each and every one of them before focusing once more on Warren. His mouth opened then, and it were as if he breathed in every ounce of oxygen in the room, leaving all else breathless because all knew before he even spoke what he was about to say.

"The bullet hit an artery directly above her heart," the doctor explained slowly. "We extracted it and stopped the bleeding, but as we patched her up, her heart gave out. It had been pumping too hard for too long. She was gone, and there was nothing we could do. I'm so very sorry, Mr. Mitchell."

Warren watched the doctor step away, his eyes glazed over. His heart fell to pieces on the floor. He had lost his wife, and now he had lost his daughter in the same fashion. He choked out a shaky breath, Amy standing beside him and gripping his hand, her usually joking self dead behind glistening eyes. Mr. Swanson pulled the man to his chest, tears falling silently onto his shirt. No one had anything to say. All were frozen, their voices lost in the noisy hospital ER. Warren died a little in that moment as did everyone him, all drawn to LA just after Christmas for Beca and their ever-blooming love for the kind DJ.

Chloe rushed from the room out of the exit, and it was Jesse who ran after her, Aubrey and Stacie in his wake. Jesse grabbed Chloe as she was about to cross the street into the parking lot and pulled her into a crushing hug. She tried to push him away with all of her might, growling and screaming, but he held on. He refused to let go as Stacie and Aubrey squeezed one another's hands. No, Beca didn't just die that night. A large piece of Chloe went along with her. She had just killed a man in vain. She was forever under a world of guilt, and they had nothing to say now.

"No!" Chloe screamed, the sound breaking her friends' heart. "NO, Jesse, get off! No, he's lying! This is a sick joke!"

"I'm sorry, Chloe, but-they tried," Jesse coaxed through his own tears.

"No, they didn't try hard enough! No! She isn't dead! We-we were gonna get married, and she-NO!"

Her fists slammed against the man's chest until her body gave out, and she collapsed in his grip, sobs racking her frame.

"No, Jesse please," she gasped. "Please, just give her back to me. Please, Jesse, I'll do anything. I'll move out of the apartment. I will. I swear, Beca, I won't argue anymore just please come back. Please, Jesse, please. Just give me my baby back. Give her back to me, please!"

No one said a thing as Chloe begged. No one had anything to say. They were all lost, and the redhead was a wreck, her heart laying in pieces at her feet. The guilt took over, her mind lost as it replayed the scene over and over. She should have been there. She should have protected Beca. No, they shouldn't have been there. She should have moved out of that Godforsaken apartment. She should not have moved in at all. It was her stubborn pride that had ripped Beca from her arms. That stubborn pride had come back to teach her the lesson that would break her beyond repair. At last, she screamed herself into exhaustion, her eyes shutting as she fell into unconscious, looking for Beca in the darkness...


	16. Science Fails and then Comes God

_A/N: Thanks everyone for the following and reviews. I'm so sorry for breaking hearts, but it's okay. I'm here to save the day. I pray I can make it up to you guys with this one. Here we go! Let me know what you think please! I hope you guys didn't give up on the story after the last chapter_

Blue eyes fluttered open, blinded by a powerful light above. Sheets rustled. Breathing was slowed. Heart monitors beeped steadily. The familiar smell of sterilization wafted in. Chloe sat up in the bed, rubbing her burning eyes. Richard and Jenna sat beside her bed fast asleep. She looked around, and she knew what had happened was not a dream. Beca was gone, and there was nothing that she could do about it, right? No, it could still be a dream. Maybe they brought her to the hospital when she didn't wake up. Maybe it was her that had been hurt. She checked her body. Nothing. Then she looked over at her father. There was a newspaper resting on his lap. She gingerly picked it up to see a large photo of Beca on the front. The headline read:

**NOT SO TITANIUM B**

Star DJ shot and in critical condition in lower East Los Angeles this morning by suspected drug kingpin

As she read it, Chloe broke down into tears again silently, her body shaking violently. What the hell was she going to do without the DJ? She trembled, pulling her knees to her chest and biting down on the skin of her leg. She wanted it to end. She wanted to go with Beca, to be with her. She couldn't live without her. Suddenly, she heard a sound coming from the shadows in the corner of the room. She looked up, and a familiar tune glided over into her ears.

X_X_X_X_X

Blue eyes fluttered open, blinded by a powerful light above. Sheets rustled. Breathing was slowed. Heart monitors beeped steadily. The familiar smell of sterilization wafted in. The moon was bright as it filtered in through the large window, and the hall outside of the closed door sounded busy. There were muffled cries and stifled screams. The IV dripped silently beside the bed. It had yet to be removed. She had been left alone. The heart monitor was not her own that she heard. It carried in from the room on the other side of the far wall. Her heart monitor had been turned off. She had been pronounced dead. She had heard the doctor say so, yet here she was. She sat up slowly, her hand clutching her chest where gauze had been placed over the bullet wound. Beca knew they thought she was dead. The doctors had been gone all of ten minutes, and they were probably out telling her family she was dead. No, she was many things, but Rebeca Annabel Mitchell was no quitter. Her mother had sent her back to Earth. She knew it. While she had been unconscious, she had seen the older woman with the long brown hair and glowing crystal blue eyes, eyes that reminded her what she stood to lose if she stopped fighting. Chloe. Chloe Beale, the woman she loved more than anything in the world. There was no way she would walk away from that.

"Keep fighting, Becs," her mother had crooned in her ear. "I'll save a place here for you when it's time, but right now, that woman needs you much more than I do."

Beca had fought then. She had kept fighting. She had tripped and stumbled, and yes, her heart had stopped, but she never stopped fighting. Even when the doctors called it and left the room three minutes later after a failed revival, she kept fighting. Without the doctors or nurses, she had come back to life for the sake of one woman.

She stepped out of her bed carefully, ripping the IV from her arm with nothing more than a wince. She trudged over to the door and opened it. Peering into the waiting room, she could see her father sitting down with the Swansons, the Marburys, Jesse and Amy. They were all crowded around Warren, hugging him and holding him, trying to calm down his roaring sobs. It broke Beca's heart all over again. Serge was kneeling in front of Warren, large paws on her father's shoulders, trying to calm him. Beca needed to save her family now, but where was Chloe?

She stepped out into the hall warily. It was Jesse who saw her first. His eyes bulged, nearly jumping out of his skull, and the color drained from his face.

"B-Beca?" he gasped.

At this, everyone looked up, assuring Jesse he wasn't seeing things when they all gasped. Warren was up in a flash, pulling his little girl into his arms. It hurt, his embrace squishing against her wound, but Beca didn't care. She was glad to be alive.

"Oh, honey, you're alive," he sobbed into her hair. "Thank God."

"M-mom sent me back," she managed into his shoulder. "She sent me back, Daddy. She said that C-Chloe needed me. Where's Chloe?"

Warren pulled away now, and Jesse stepped forth to answer. "They have her in that room." He pointed to the room next to hers. "She passed out when we got the news. She was-oh it was heartbreaking. She just kept begging for us to bring you back, Becs. It killed her. She's resting now, but I'm sure they'll let you in."

"Well, I'm going in there, but I need a favor, Jess. Where's Stacie?"

"In there with Aubrey and the Beales. They all flew in when we called them and told them you got shot. Everyone came as you can see."

"Wow, thank God I came back then. Too many broken hearts for my liking now that I'm all brand new and reduced to mush, ya know." This elicited a chuckle from the two men. "Okay though, you should probably take Aubrey and Stacie with you for this."

After hugging everyone in the waiting room and tears were shed with joy, Jesse took Aubrey and Stacie and left on his mission. The doctor took Beca back to check her out, surprised to find that she was completely fine now. They had repaired the artery of course, and her heart was pumping normally. It was because of Beca that this doctor then believed in a higher power. At least, that's what he told her as he redressed her wound and put her arm in a sling. She just gave him a warm smile as he handed back the locket they had taken off of her, the one Chloe had given her. She put it around her neck hastily.

"And sorry for giving up on you," he mustered weakly with an apologetic smile. "It's usually a five-minute rule when the heart stops, you know?"

"No worries," Beca replied. "I'm sure that it had nothing to do with you guys whether I died or not. Someone upstairs had a plan, and my mother was whispering it in His ear as it went along."

The doctor smiled again then patted her good shoulder before allowing her to exit the room. Jesse had just walked in with Aubrey and Stacie in tow, the girls adorning megawatt grins. Jesse handed Beca her request and some clothes then she winked at her best friend and entered Chloe's room. Mr. and Mrs. Beale were fast asleep beside Chloe's bed. She decided not to scare them just yet. She went into the room's bathroom and pulled on pants and a tanktop after removing the gown then pulled on her yellow checkered shirt Chloe had bought her for her gig. She sat in the corner of the room behind the couple, awaiting her girlfriend's awakening. She gripped the item Jesse had given her in her hand tightly, anxiety spilling over into her gut. She watched Chloe sleep, and she smiled softly. Chloe had done the unthinkable. She had taken all of that training, and she had succeeded in the greatest target practice she had ever faced. It was a straight shot in the center of the man's forehead the first time Chloe had used her new .38, and Beca could not be more proud. Had she not shot the man or missed him or failed at a fatal shot, he would have surely shot again, killing Beca for sure or Chloe. She was glad that Matt Carter had handed Chloe over to her the day at the shooting range. She was glad she had not given up on her horrible aim. She was glad she had asked the redhead out, and now she was glad that the Beales loved her and accepted her because she would surely need their blessing soon enough.

As Beca reminisced, something moved in front of her. Chloe. She stirred softly, her eyes fluttering open then squinting as the large light above glared down at her. She blinked a few times before slowly moving into a sitting position. She took in the faces of her parents beside her sleeping then looked around the hospital room, oblivious to Beca sitting in the shadows. Beca smiled. Chloe looked down at Richard's lap now, pulling up the newspaper from it and reading it. Beca figured that the press had already grabbed wind of her at least getting shot. Serge had mentioned he had to fight off paps on his way in hours ago. Beca's theory was confirmed when Chloe's eyes widened, and the paper fell from her hands before tears cascaded down her face. She drew in her knees to her chest, hugging them for dear life as sobs racked her body. It broke Beca's heart to see her so broken. Now was the time. She stood softly then she did the last thing she remembered Chloe doing for her to calm her down before her near-death experience.

_"I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose, fire away, fire away_

_Ricochet, you take your aim, fire away, fire away_

_Shoot me down, but I won't fall, I am Titanium_

_Shoot me down, but I won't fall, I am Titanium"_

Chloe looked up, peering into the darkness, and her eyes widened at the sight before her. The soft melody stirred her parents as well, and they too sat up. They looked at Chloe before registering the tune coming from behind them. They turned slowly to find Beca standing there in her street clothes singing as she stepped from the shadows. Richard rubbed his eyes then looked at Jenna, over at Chloe then back to Beca. Beca patted his shoulder as she ended the song.

"No, Old Man, you're not seeing things," she chuckled to his shock. "I'm Titanium, remember? Oh, and I'm going to need to ask you guys something because I don't know if you're old school or what."

Beca whispered into Richard's ear as the other two women watched on in frozen awe. Then Richard's face turned into a wide smile, and he nodded vigorously. Beca straightened then approached Chloe, kneeling down beside the bed.

"Chloe," she whispered just as the door opened and Stacie and Aubrey were revealed with what seemed like a crowd of people behind them holding their breaths. "I love you more than anything in this world. You faced your fears. You shot that guy on my behalf, and you didn't freak out. You came back for me, and you saved my life, so I came back for you. My mom sent me back. She said she would save me a place, but you needed me more than she ever could right now. Truth is, I needed you most. I'm here. I'm titanium, and I'm yours, and I will never let anything happen to you or tear us apart because you're my everything. It's going to take a lot more than a bullet in the heart to keep me away from you, Red. And like I said last night, I don't wanna give you more time to decide to run after all. You're stuck with me, so-" Now Beca held out the object clenched in her hand, and she flipped open the lid of the small velvet box to reveal a large diamond solitaire to which Stacie and Aubrey squealed. "Chloe Aria Beale, will you please marry me?"

Chloe's eyes were now full of quickly reproducing tears, and she could only nod her head vigorously before pulling the brunette up and into a tight hug. Once again, the pain in Beca's chest was nothing more than a dull twinge because the emotional damage done to Chloe's heart had been repaired. That was worth a million bullets to Beca. Stacie and Aubrey jumped up and down in excitement as everyone behind them began clapping. Beca was pretty sure that it wasn't just people she knew that were listening in.

"Thanks for coming back for me," Chloe whispered to her fiance.

"Ha, you can't get rid of me that easily, Beale," she smirked.

"Right, Titanium and all. Well, the press doesn't think so anymore, so we have to get that fixed."

"Eh, we can let them think I'm dead a little while longer."

Chloe pulled back and swatted the brunette's slung shoulder. "Beca!"

"Ouch, woman!"

"Don't play like that."  
"Oh, you love me."  
"Exactly."

"So, should we go with Mitchell-Beale or Beale-Mitchell? I'm gonna go with Beale-Mitchell. It has a nice ring to it."

"I absolutely agree."

Beca turned to Richard now with a devilish grin before heaving an evil laugh. "The barbecue shall be mine!"

"I guess I'll need to put a booster seat in the office then, huh?" Richard replied.

"HA HA HA. Funny, Old Man."


	17. I Suppose I Do

_A/N: Thanks everyone for the following and reviews. We're getting into the end, so I got some fluff cooked up for you. Let's see our favorite girls get married, huh? If you have any suggestions you want fulfilled before it ends, go ahead and shoot it to me. Im all ears. Thanks again for the wonderful following. I had people loving me then hating me then loving me again lol but it was the desired affect. I had to give you a bit of a heart attack otherwise the ending wouldn't be as heart warming, right? Okay. Let's go._

White pants. White button-up dress shirt. Red tie. Red suspenders. White jacket with red ascot in pocket. Amy pulled back on said suspenders and let them go. Beca whooshed out a breath as the snapped against her chest.

"What the hell, Amy!" she barked, holding her chest.

"Sorry, I always wanted to do that," the blonde admitted nonchalantly. "We keep it tight though, you know. How nervous are you?"

"I'm not nervous!" Amy gave her a knowing look. "Very. I mean all of her family's out there, and my vows sound like one of those cheesy movies Jesse watches."

"Instead of vows, you should sacrifice a manta ray by cutting out its heart with a piece of coral. That's what we do back in Tasmania."

"Uh, no. I'll stick to cheesy words. Thanks."

"Beca, she smoked a kingpin for you. Give Red some credit. You can go up there and make a complete babbling idiot of yourself, and she'll still love you."

"Yeah, thanks for the pep talk, Amy. You always give the best ones."

"I know, right? I was the best relationship counselor back in Tasmania. With two eyes of course. I'm pretty confident with it."

"You should be."

Amy herself was dressed in a red strapless dress that matched Stacie's and Aubrey's. She would be a bridesmaid today, standing beside Chloe, who had settled for the traditional billowy white dress, strapless as well and elegant as can be. Beca ran a finger over a scuff on her white dress shoes. She stood up once again and looked in the full-body mirror before her. Her hair was pulled into a tight bun, the ends of her brown tresses flowing out of it in soft curls. She had removed her ear spike at one point, but when Chloe was alerted of this, she made Amy have her put it back in. Jesse walked in with Serge in tow, both men wearing suits that matched Beca's, and they gave her a warm hug before heading outside. Warren and Richard also had matching suits, and they would both be part of the wedding. Richard would lead Chloe down the aisle, and Warren would hand over Beca when she reached them at the altar after walking the brunette down. It had been a year since Beca's near run-in with death, a year since same-sex marriage had become legal in Washington, and they had been stuck on a white wedding in Seattle. The snow had stuck, and they were happy that their families could be present on their big day. Jesse and Stacie had decided on a shipping name, and Twitter and Instagram were going crazy over the constant updates from both sides of the "Bechloe" fandom.

It had been an amazing year for the couple. They had moved into a beautiful house on a hill overlooking LA on March sixth, the day of Chloe's birthday. Beca had had the house built, and she surprised Chloe with how perfect it had come along in a few short months. Chloe had received a prestigious award from the California Board of Education when her school won their first national choir competition. Beca had gone on an international tour from June to October after everyone was assured she was alive of course, and in May, her and Chloe had hosted a three-week choir camp for the students with great success. Beca had also invested in the Beale family chain, helping Richard open two restaurants in LA, one of them being on the famous campus of UCLA and had opened with a bang, Beca being present of course. Chloe had finally picked up her new car from the dealer, and she had given her other car to a family of one of her students that had trouble getting their kids to school due to lack of transportation. As if that weren't enough, Beca had finally decided to sing throughout her album, and it had gone diamond in a span of six months while she was on tour while she brought in a slew of grammy awards. She was one of very few artists to achieve such an accomplishment, right up alongside Michael Jackson. She knew her mother would be proud, and she was probably rubbing it in the King of Pop's face up in Heaven although Serge swore the success came from what he dubbed the "50-Cent Effect" being as she was shot, so it made her more marketable. Either way, it made Beca grin with pride.

Matt Carter lost in yet another shootout, but this time, it was Chloe who took him down with Beca watching on, a look of pride etched across her face as the redhead handled her .38. Beca had invested in the range as well, and with the money she put into it, they created an outside shooting range on the edge of town. Jesse won a few oscars for his big Warner Brother movie, and Amy herself stacked up some awards on the Indie movie that suddenly became a big international deal. She was then contacted by some big shot studio for some movie about a bachelorette or something. She was of course using Beca's wedding as practice although she would play the bride in the movie backed by the likes of Kirsten Dunst, but Beca didn't mind one bit.

As Beca smoothed out her jacket once more, Warren appeared beside her with a large grin on his face.

"Your mother would be so proud," he assured her.

"I sure hope so," she replied warmly. "And Dad?"

"Yeah, Becs?"

"Thank you. For believing in me. For not giving up on me, and for not leaving me after Mom died. I guess, thanks for being strong for us."

"You'll always be my little girl, Becs, even if you're big man on campus today." He chuckled, straightening her tie. "Either way, thank you for staying strong as well, for not letting your mother's passing ruin your life or shut you away and keep you from love. And also, thank you for fighting, even when the doctors pronounced you dead. You saved many more lives than you think, and the proof is right outside this room."

Beca smiled, hugging her father warmly then taking a deep breath.

"You ready, kiddo?" he asked.

"Yeah, I've been ready for a year now," she replied. "I think I still gave her more than enough time to decide if she wanted to run or not."

"I think we're all still just shocked that you didn't."

She bumped his shoulder playfully before heading for the entrance of the large tent they were getting ready in. Outside sat a beautiful park blanketed in white snow, a gazebo sitting at the end of the aisle delicately decorated with the justice of the peace standing within, awaiting the couple to be joined. Both Mitchells took a deep breath then together, Warren's arm slung loosely around his daughter's shoulders, they walked down the aisle with the soft acoustic version of "Titanium" beginning. Everyone rose, Jenna at the front of the rows of chairs smiling wide. Jesse stood beside the justice of the peace with his goofy grin as he watched his best friend approach. Jesse had of course been nominated best man after he and Serge argued the point for hours. Serge settled for standing behind Jesse as an honorary along with Andy. Warren kissed his daughter's head before falling in line behind the youngest Beale boy. Suddenly, the music came down from the risen chorus and faded out, and all eyes were back on the second entrance of the tent. A few minutes later, the second chorus of the song began, and Beca watched in awe as Chloe appeared, clutching Richard's arm, before her. Her fiery red locks were pinned up, elegant and tight curls bouncing above her head beneath the white veil. Her lips were deep red beneath the thin fabric, and Beca even then could see how bright of a blue her eyes were, sparkling with happiness and anticipation. Stacie, Aubrey and Amy came behind her in their form-fitting red dresses, and Beca couldn't help but laugh internally at how provocative Stacie looked. Many of Chloe's friends, aunts, uncles and even her grandparents had come. Richard and Jenna were super surprised to find Allie and the twins arrive as well. They wouldn't say what triggered the change of heart, but they too had heard the story of Beca saving Chloe's life and later taking a bullet for it. That combined with Beca's confrontation with Allie was what the Beale parents were betting on. Regardless, they were glad to see the makings of a tight smile on their oldest child's lips as the baby sister made her way gracefully down the aisle.

As the song slowed, Chloe and Richard reached the gazebo. Richard didn't hesitate in placing Chloe's hand into Beca's. He knew she was in the most capable of hands. Beca was after all titanium, you know. Chloe smiled at her fiance with all of the love and admiration in the world, and it were as if the world now froze to watch such a beautiful event take place. The justice went on with the usual speeches and such before prompting the groom, Beca in this case, to say her vows. Beca had almost forgotten about them completely as she was transfixed by Chloe's beauty. He asked her again, and she snapped out of it with an "Oh, right" and a giggle from the spectators. She reached into her pocket and unfolded the paper she had scribbled them on. As she read over them, her face distorted into what looked like disappointment. She shook her head then tucked the paper back into her pocket, looking down at her shoes and eliciting a gasp from the audience. They were sure that Beca had just changed her mind about the whole thing. She took a deep breath. She was never good at speaking on emotions, but she knew this was vital. She knew she was scaring everyone, everyone except Chloe who remained smiling. She at last looked up, taking her love's hands in hers once more.

"I can't read those vows to you'," she began, clearing her throat. "I wrote them, but-they didn't sound like anything that I wanted to say now that I read over them, so I'm just going to speak for myself here in this moment. Just, bare with me please." Another deep breath as Chloe squeezed her hands reassuringly. "From the first time we met, I loved you. Yes, regardless of your horrible aim with a pistol that old Matt Carter had all but given up on." She looked over at Matt, who had come along for the ceremony, and everyone chuckled along with him. "It was pretty horrendous, but-I saw something in you, Chloe. I saw a fire inside of you that I knew would propel you to succeed in anything you put your mind to, a fire that made me want to be a better person for you. You were an LA noob living in a crime-plagued complex teaching future juvenile delinquents to sing top 40 hits, and everyone doubted you. They laughed at you and made fun of you. You didn't care. Some of it was stubborn pride to the naked eye, but I saw the true intent. You wanted to prove people wrong, but more importantly you wanted to prove yourself wrong. You wanted to defeat the regret and second guesses you brought upon yourself. You wanted to help someone who couldn't get it anywhere else. Choir class became therapy for those kids, and they got so much better. You saved lives, Chloe Beale, including mine. I was a walking disaster before I met you. I was breaking hearts and taking names. I was just a badass DJ with a devil-may-care attitude and a handgun, but you saw right through that. You hurdled over all of my walls and filled a void that had been hindering me for thirteen years. You made me fall effortlessly and hopelessly in love with you with just being yourself, and no one else stood a chance because I wanted so many other girls before, but I _needed _you like air to breathe. I knew my mom sent you to me, and she sent me back to you a year ago. You never stopped loving me, and neither did I for you. You saved me in more ways than I could ever say, Chlo, and your aim is pretty awesome now. Ask Matt." Another chuckle. "Anyway, I'll bring it in, so you can have a go at making me blush too, but all I can say is yeah. You're stubborn. You're pushy. You're oblivious to personal boundaries. You're many things, Chloe Beale, but one thing you're not is a quitter. Therefore, I trust you not to quit on me because you're stuck with me for life in just a few minutes, and I vow not to quit on you."

The crowd clapped a moment, tears already running, and Chloe was glad Stacie had suggested waterproof makeup for the occasion. Now the justice prompted her to start her vows.

"Well," she began with a deep breath. "I guess I'll speak from the heart too now because it's in my nature to outdo you." Everyone laughed. "Beca, my sweet, sweet Beca. Well, as you all now know, yes, my fiance was a heartbreaking lady killer before she met me." Another chuckle. "You know, I was very stubborn. I learned the lesson almost a little too late that it's okay to admit defeat. It's okay to accept help. I never wanted to. I didn't want to call my dad for help getting a better place to live. I never told them where I was actually living. I didn't let Aubrey help me or you at first, but sometimes, you have to lose something to realize it. I did. For far too many hours that one day, I lost you. I let myself lose you over stubborn pride, and I was so empty and broken. It was then that I realized I could not live without you. I wouldn't, and you didn't let me. You came back for me. People judged you by your alt girl style and your devil-may-care attitude, and your trusty handgun, but you're right. I did see through that to your beautiful heart. You're many things too, Beca, but you are definitely not a quitter either. You didn't let any of us live without you because behind that badass DJ thing you reel the groupies in with is a heart of gold that you brought your true family in with." Another laugh. "I love you more than anyone will ever love another person. You saved me too. You taught me what true love was. You allowed me to lay down my pride, and you helped me. Whether it was with my horrid aim or my criminal students, you helped me overcome obstacles to be a better person, and in that, you helped those kids become better people. You won over my dad. You defended my honor on so many occasions. You did everything you could for me, and here, everyone thought you didn't care about anyone. You cared for me though, Becs, and that's all I see. You love me for who I am, and you don't let me believe I have to pretend to be something I'm not. To the world, you're a multi-platinum grammy-winning DJ. To me, you're just my beautiful and loving Beca. I didn't fall in love with DJ Titanium B. I fell for Rebeca Annabel Mitchell. Now, I know that it's okay to be scared, to be weak, to be helpless, to ask for help and take it because you'll always be right there beside me now. You and your titanium casing will be there, but I swear I will never take it for granted again, Beca Mitchell. That was my promise the day I begged you to come back to me, and you did, so I'll keep it. I'll protect you just as much as you protect me. I promise."

The crowd clapped once more as Beca allowed tears to fall down her face, a smile on her lips. The justice proceeded with the ceremony now as the crowd quieted, everyone ready for the finale to come.

"Chloe Aria Beale, do you take Rebeca Annabel Mitchell as your lawfully wedded wife to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, in success and in failure, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do you part?"

Chloe grinned widely. "I suppose I do."

"And Rebeca Annabel Mitchell, do you take Chloe Aria Beale as your lawfully wedded wife to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, in success and in failure, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do you part?"

Beca smirked. "Yeah, I guess I do too."

Rings were then exchanged, slid onto the fingers of each woman then the justice rang it out.

"And now, by the power vested in me by the State of Washington, I hereby pronounce you woman and wife. You may now kiss the bride." The crowd erupted as Beca removed the thin veil from Chloe's face and pressed their lips together in a deep, passionate kiss, their first kiss as a married couple. "Family and friends, I present to you Mrs. and Mrs. Beale-MItchell!"

The clapping and screams of joy only intensified as Beca led Chloe back down the aisle to the side of the tent where their getaway car was waiting. They would attend the reception at the special events center in town. Serge had brought along a DJ, and Richard had handled the catering at Beca's request. They would then set off for a fantastic honeymoon in Greece, but right now in that moment, the near future did not matter. Navy blue eyes met deep cerulean orbs, and the newlyweds became lost in the pools boring into their own. It was a beautiful day for them after such a long struggle and a plentiful year. They had made it. It was a fairy tale sort of thing, and Chloe had always known this was how it would all turn out from the day the small brunette had entered her cubicle and wrapped her arms around her to position her firearm. A year ago, her heart had stopped. The world had ceased, and time froze. Today, everything was going strong, and she couldn't imagine it any other way.

"So, Mrs. Beale-Mitchell, how do you feel?" Beca at last asked.

"Like a million bucks," she admitted with a grin.

"Yeah, you look like it too."

"Beca, I felt you staring at my chest all the way down the aisle, and I think that Stacie did too."

"Oh, please, I just wanted to know which one of your cousins stuffed a dollar bill down the front of her dress first. You know it was two sizes too small."

"That still shouldn't be any of your concern."

"Okay, won't happen again. Scout's honor. I only have eyes for you."

"Mmm hmm, how long did Jesse keep you at that strip club last night?"

"What strip-"

"How long?"

"Half an hour, but I swear I had my eyes closed."

"Well, guess who _isn't _finally christening the new house tonight?"

"What? We're married now, woman, we don't have to wait anymore! There's so much sexual tension in this car, you could cut it with your finger nail."

"Oh, but I can hold out. Try me. Why don't you go back to that strip-"

Before Chloe could finish her sentence, Beca's lips crashed into hers as her hand quickly flew up her dress and pressed at her center. Luckily the limo's partition was up. Chloe gasped into the brunette's mouth.

"You wanna rethink that?" Beca mumbled into the redhead's lips.

"Okay, I surrender."

Beca smirked, pulling her hand away hastily and eliciting another gasp. Then she winked as the redhead gained composure then glared at her wife.

"You're evil," the redhead growled.

"Oh, you love me," Beca retorted.

"Lucky me."

"Lucky you indeed."


	18. Sex On the Beach and Other Shananigans

_A/N: Thanks everyone for the following and reviews. We're getting into the end, so I got some fluff cooked up for you. I was suggested to have a bit of smut. An M-rated honeymoon to be exact, and who am I to deny my trusty followers when I know they would smoke a kingpin for me, right? I'm not much for it, so bare with me. It's a first for sure. Let's see our favorite girls in Greece, huh? If you have any suggestions you want fulfilled before it ends, go ahead and shoot it to me. Im all ears. Thanks again for the wonderful following. I had people loving me then hating me then loving me again lol but it was the desired affect. I had to give you a bit of a heart attack otherwise the ending wouldn't be as heart warming, right? Okay. Let's go._

The sandy white beaches of Santorini had enough beauty to melt away any and every worry and distress on Earth. The Beale-Mitchell villa sat on a raised plateau overlooking one such beach on the northern part of Greek's most prized island. Crystal blue waters and milky white sand, the waves crashing softly upon the shore creating a serene beat. Jet lag had forced the newlyweds into a sixteen-hour slumber once they arrived, but there was no resistance there. They had two weeks to get involved in the island life, and Greek temperatures were beautiful year-round. They had decided to move their honeymoon during Chloe's spring break, and neither woman had any disagreement about it. Boy, was it a beautiful sight.

They had been out to dinner the second night followed by a night cap at the villa, and they sat out on their lone strip of beach that was surrounded by a rocky cove for complete privacy beneath a bright moon and shining stars. Beca and Chloe had always been much too busy to really indulge in one another's company since Beca's near-death experience, so this vacation was all theirs.

"This is beautiful," Chloe whispered as she lay beneath Beca's thighs on a blanket, her head back upon the brunette's chest with Beca's chin resting atop her copper locks.

"Yes, you are," Beca replied dreamily with a content sigh, her hand running up the redhead's toned stomach beneath her summer dress.

"What did I ever do to deserve you?"

"Well, if smoking a drug dealer doesn't account for true love, I don't know what the hell does."

"You'll never let me live it down, will you?"

"Chloe, you sang your lady jam to me while I bled to death in a dark alley. Where the hell do you want me to bury that memory?"

"Okay, and you nearly gave Daddy Beale a heart attack appearing from the shadows looking pale as a ghost singing my lady jam."

"Tell me, were you-_aroused _when I sang it that time?"

"Honestly, I thought I was asleep having a supernatural fantasy of you. Is that weird at all?"

"Eh, maybe a little."

Beca then began to hum said song, and Chloe looked up at her, cerulean eyes suddenly three shades darker beneath the moonlight. She reached her hand up, tangling it in brown tresses as Beca met her halfway for a searing kiss. The kiss deepened as Chloe's mouth opened, allowing Beca's tongue to explore then battle Chloe's for dominance. Chloe turned her body so that she could straddle her wife, both hands now lost in chocolate locks, her back arching into her wife's front as she expelled a moan from her depths. Beca's hands bracketed her hips a moment before sliding beneath her summer dress and grasping her thighs. Another whimper escaped the redhead as her wife's thumbs slid beneath the thin lace of her underwear. Beca herself was in a tanktop that Chloe peeled off quickly before reconnecting their lips. Beca tore down the lace now, and it sat at Chloe's knees. Reaching up, she unclasped Chloe's bra as the redhead did the same for her, their lips not leaving each other. They had only made love once, the night of their wedding in a cozy five-star hotel room Beca had reserved, but their schedules had hindered any other chances. Tonight, nothing could stop them however. Chloe ground into her wife's groin now, their centers aligned to create a friction that they desired more than anything at the moment. Beca reached down to unbutton her pants, kicking them off with haste before Chloe proceeded to grind. The whimpers and moans protruding from the redhead were enough to drive Beca mad with passionate desire. She rolled over so that she now hovered over her wife, lips fused together. Chloe whimpered at the loss of friction at her center, but Beca was not in the mood to tease. She yanked off Chloe's underwear before inserting two fingers in the redhead's folds. Chloe gasped at the forwardness of it, her head tilted back onto the sand. Beca found her lips once more with her own, using her hips to stroke in and out of her wife with solid thrusts. Chloe's nails dug into the pale skin of Beca's shoulder blades, clawing as Beca's thrusts increased in speed. Chloe bit down on the brunette's shoulder hard enough to draw blood on one particularly rough movement, but she wasn't complaining. The first time had been slow and loving, a beautiful event, but it had been so long, and the tension was pent up. Chloe reached the brink quickly then the next she knew, her body was convulsing for at least a minute. As soon as she began her descent however, she didn't remain idle. She quickly flipped the pair around, kissing Beca from her neck down, a trail left with her lips down the center of her wife's body. Beca found a hand entwined in red locks as she grunted her agreement. Chloe kissed the inside of each thigh before coming back up, her finger sliding across the length of Beca's folds. The brunette grasped her wife's tresses roughly, a throaty moan escaping her.

"Chloe," she breathed. "Please."

Chloe made her way back up, finding her wife's lips once more before entering Beca's soaking wet folds and swallowing the gasp the brunette expelled. Chloe was much more deliberate and steady with each stroke, still hungry but more reserved as it built up. Beca now clawed the redhead's back, but when Chloe pulled her head back even slightly, Beca grasped a handful of hair and pulled her back down into a bruising kiss. As she reached her climax, she reached down and cupped the redhead's ass with both hands, pulling Chloe impossibly closer, deeper, bucking her hips forward as the pleasure washed over her. She shuddered in that moment, biting down on the redhead's shoulder as a deep moan escaped her with haste. Then she collapsed back onto blanket softly, Chloe clinging to her. Chloe fell to the side slightly so one leg remained slung over her wife's and her chest rested upon the brunette's chest. Their heavy breathing slowly evened out. Beca pulled an end of the blanket over them as her other hand gently stroked through red tresses.

"I love you, Mrs. Beale-Mitchell," the brunette breathed softly.

"I love you too, Mrs. Beale-Mitchell," Chloe replied hazily. "However, you wore me the hell out. I don't think I'm getting up from here."

"No rush. I mean, that was a rush, but no rush as in we don't have to rush-"

"I don't recall you being a babbling mess after the first time. Hmm."

"Wasn't I drunk the first-" A slap to the breast. "Ouch, woman!"

"Think twice before you finish out that thought."

"Got it. Uh, I don't know. I'm-my mind is cloudy right now. That was-wow."

"Wow indeed."

Chloe absently traced over the wide star-shaped scar on the brunette's chest where she had been shot then cut open to remove the bullet. She leaned down and kissed it softly. Guilt flashed through her mind if only for a moment, but it were almost as if Beca could sense it. She wrapped an arm around the redhead's shoulders.

"Think of it as like, a, brand," she sighed. "It will forever be part of us, and it's a battle scar, proof of what we survived to be together."

Chloe giggled. "You're gonna tell our kids all about it aren't you?"

"Hell yeah, you bet I am! I'm gonna write it up and publish it. You know how many people I told that story too in that strip club?"

"I thought you had your eyes closed in that strip club?"

"Babe, Stevie Wonder didn't need eyes to make beautiful music. I didn't need my eyes to tell a beautiful story. Besides, with the pepper spray and the cucumber I got hit with, it isn't like I can see very well anymore."

"You tell me I'm beautiful everyday."

"Baby, you have been beautiful since the first time I saw you and long before that, and you'll be beautiful when you're old and wrinkly and I have to wheel you around because your arthritis is bad. You'll be the hottest old lady on a hover-round, I'll tell you that much, Chloe Beale-Mitchell."

"Always such the charmer, huh?"

"Only for you, but if you ever let this leak, I will deny it up and down. I just regained my badass reputation by coming back from the dead. I don't need this fluff to come up and destroy it again."

"You're secrets safe with me, boo bear."

"Ugh, and don't ever call me that again."

"Shnookums?"

"Nope."

"Honey bee."

"Hell no."

"Badass boo bear?"

"In the safety of our own home, maybe?"

"How about, hmm, shut the hell up and let me call you whatever I please?"

"Well, I guess that could work."

"I thought so."

The night went on with three more rounds of steamy, passionate love. Or maybe it was four, or five. Who's counting? Hell, the honeymoon continued in this fashion, but it really didn't matter what they did. Beca and Chloe were in love, and their time together was cherished. Sure, fishing at the foot of the volcano ended in Beca falling over the side of the boat with Chloe yelling "midget lesbian overboard!", and Chloe climbed a very tall tree to prove a point in which she was much too scared to climb down. It took an hour for Beca to coax her to try her descent, and she fell midway, squashing her wife in the act but avoiding any serious damage. They tried new foods they couldn't pronounce, and Beca went shark hunting only to have her leg grazed by a plant, causing run back to land with her arms flailing, yelling at the top of her lungs. Regardless of all that however, they wouldn't change it for the world because all they wanted to do was be with each other.


	19. Should I Hug You or Strangle You?

_A/N: Thanks everyone for the following and reviews. Here's the next round of fluff. Everyone loves the future scene to see our favorite girls start a beautiful life._

"She's getting so big," Beca noted aloud with a smile as she caressed Chloe's bulging stomach lovingly while they sat on the couch.

"Or _he_ is," Chloe prompted, still certain they were expecting a boy.

"I'm pretty sure it's a girl by now, honey. You're hormones are almost unbearable. You know, like two girls worth of hormones."

"Oh, hush. They haven't been that bad."

"Chloe, you sent me out at three in the morning for McDonald's fries and a 40 piece chicken nugget. You cried during an All State commercial and not just little tears here and there. You sounded like you were dying." Chloe glared at her wife as the brunette laughed. "It's okay, sweetie, your secret's safe with me."

"It damn well better be. Besides, you took the vow. For better or for worse, in sickness and in health."

"Yeah, I guess mental illness is covered." Chloe pulled back and swatted at Beca's shoulder. "Ooh, feisty are we? Save it for later, baby."

"Shut up."

"You're so beautiful when you're mad."

"That's right. Kiss ass and maybe, just _maybe_, you won't sleep on the couch tonight."

"Don't threaten me with a good time. Then maybe I won't be woken up with your ridiculous witching hour cravings."

"Okay then. Drop the threat. That's a promise."

The couple had been married four years, four years full of choir competition wins, Grammy awards, multi-platinum and diamond albums, petty fights, upgrades to the house, and now six months of Chloe's raging hormones and Beca banging her head against hard surfaces due to said hormones. It was great. Sure, Beca was almost positive her wife had gone insane since being pregnant what with sending Beca out at all hours of the night for junk food or having to get up at two a.m. to make biscuits and orange kool-aid, but regardless of what she said, the brunette wouldn't trade it for the world.

Six months prior, shortly before their fourth wedding anniversary, Chloe had come home to tell Beca that she was eight weeks pregnant, that the procedure had been successful after three tries, and they were expecting their first child for September. Beca had been over the moon, yelling all over the house and calling Jesse, Amy, Serge and her father while Chloe phoned everyone else they knew. The tabloids caught a whiff of it one day when Beca and Chloe were leaving a doctor's appointment, and with the two being America's sweethearts four years running, Beca didn't much mind it. The not-so-titanium DJ had become the stronger-than-titanium DJ five years prior, and she was far more marketable than 50 Cent had ever been to Serge's delight.

"Well, if it is a girl, we decided on naming her Jenna Noelle, right?" Beca asked.

"Yes, baby, Jenna Noelle after our mothers," she replied with a smile. "We'll call her Noelle though of course."

"That sounds perfect."

"What if its a boy?"

"It won't be."

"Come on, Becs, we have to at least be prepared."

"I'd say Carter because he introduced us, but no need to inflate his ego, and besides, that's your brother's name."

"This is true."

"If we have to, we'll figure it out. Later."

"You are so stubborn."

"No, stubbornness in this house. I'm just a realest, and you, m'lady, are carrying our daughter right now."

"Okay, DJ, I'll entertain you for the time being. Now, can you go get me-"

"Good night!"

With that, Beca darted from the couch and up to the bedroom. Chloe pouted.

"You can't run from me, Mitchell!" she yelled up the stairs. "I know where you sleep! Your daughter and I will always be there, and when we're hungry, we get fed, understand!" She waited a moment, but nothing came. "Beca Mitchell, I swear if I have to go up there, you are in-"

Chloe stopped as she heard a series of pretty loud bangs coming from upstairs. She stood up as quickly as she could with her bulging belly and waddled up the stairs. She reached the bedroom, and the banging became louder. She peered into the room cautiously, and she could see Beca banging her head on the wall as she sat between the bed and the desk with her knees drawn to her chest and her eyes shut tight. She quickly ran over, slapping the side of the brunette's head.

"What the-" Beca started, her eyes bulging open as she rubbed her head.

"What are you trying to do?" Chloe asked incredulously. "How will you teach our daughter to ride a bike if you have brain damage?"

"It's just stress relief."

"Come up here."

"No, I'm-"

"Beca!"

Beca stood up abruptly before Chloe, and the redhead pulled her into a tight embrace. She peppered the brunette's neck with kisses before relieving her of her top and pushing her back on the bed. These were the hormones Beca could readily deal with, Chloe ripping their clothes off and prompting them to make passionate love for hours until she was tired enough to go to sleep.

"I won't send you out tonight," she husked. "Instead, I'll reward you for your services. How does that sound?"

"Oh, thank you, good God," the brunette breathed, her hands bracketing her wife's hips. "I knew I stayed around for some reason."

"I will let that one slide."

Chloe pulled off her own top now, giving Beca a generous view of her enlarged chest, threatening to burst from the tight, lacy black bra. Chloe unclasped it, dangling it before the brunette's eyes before Beca lunged forward, latching her lips onto one of Chloe's firms breasts. Chloe's fingers quickly became tangled in brown locks as she pulled the brunette in closer with a deep moan. Beca slid Chloe's pajama pants down along with her underwear, leaning down to kiss her bulging stomach. Chloe undid Beca's bra before shoving her back down and hovering above her wife in a teasing manner. Beca pushed down the redhead's lower garments, and Chloe tugged off hers in one swift movement. Tender kisses created a trail down the center of the shorter girl's body, fingers sliding inside of wet folds with a deep groan on Beca's behalf on a whimper on Chloe's. Yes, these hormones surely made insanity worth it.

Hours later as Chloe laid on her side, Beca's arm slung over her midsection, the redhead's eyes fluttered open. Her stomach rumbled, a sharp kick from within hit her in the side. She was starving. She reached back, grabbing her wife's thigh and shaking her awake slowly at first.

"No, no more roller coasters," the brunette groaned. "It's rickety, unsafe."

"Babe," Chloe hissed. "Wake up."

"Go home, Moon Moon, you're drunk." came another mutter.

"Beca, wake up." Chloe's tone raised, shaking a bit harder.

Beca tried to turn over, but Chloe held her in her place then turned onto her back and shook her viciously. Beca awoke with a start, jerking into a sitting position.

"Did the Niners win the super bowl!" she gasped, looking around the room.

"No, babe," Chloe whined. "I'm hungry."

"Oh, okay, I'll make you breakfast in the morning." She began to lay back down but Chloe pushed her back up.

"It is the morning."

Beca glanced down at the clock beside their bed, rubbing her eyes. "Uh, no, I didn't mean three in the morning. I meant when I can see the sun."

"But I can't go to sleep when I'm hungry."

Beca groaned. "What can I get you, your highness?"

"I want a pickle and a jar of peanut butter." Beca's face fell instantly.

"You're fucking kidding me, right?"

"Beca, don't curse in front of the baby!"

"Trust me. I'm pretty sure she's saying the same thing."

"Beca, please. I really want a panini."

"You said you wanted-"

"Beca! Stop stalling! Just go get me a McGriddle!"

Beca toppled over on her side, banging her head on the bedside table multiple times before Chloe yanked her back into a sitting position.

"I'm-gonna go get you a breakfast bar," Beca sighed, calming herself. "Then I'm gonna go back to sleep."

"Can you get me a glass of milk too?"

"Can't you just pump some out of your nipples?"

"Beca! That's for the baby, and it's not even ready yet."

"Jesus, it's like pregnancy went out of its way to be inconvenient."

Beca slid out of bed, racing downstairs before Chloe could change her mind again. She poured a glass of milk, grabbed the box of lucky charm breakfast bars, and retreated back upstairs. When she reached the bed, she held out the goods to Chloe. Chloe took it quickly, pulling out a breakfast bar and unwrapping it before taking a large bite. Beca slid back into bed and settled down to drift back to sleep. Mid-chew, Chloe froze and looked slowly over to Beca with large pleading eyes.

"Baby," she whined. "I really, reallllly want a hot dog."

"Arghhh!" Beca barked, jumping out of bed. She tripped over the sheets and fell flat on her face. When she turned around, Chloe was laughing, milk spilling from her nose and mouth. Then she was crying hysterically seconds later, and Beca didn't know if she wanted to hug her or strangle her. She strode over slowly, sitting down and placing the cup of milk on the side table before wrapping up her wife in her arms.

"Shhh, shhh, shhh," she crooned. "Okay, baby, okay. I'll get you a hot dog."

"No, you think I'm a fat cow!" Chloe sobbed.

"No, I do not, honey. You're beautiful."

"Stop lying to me! Is this what you do! You lie to me! You don't love me enough anymore to tell me the truth?"

"Baby, I am not lying at you. Please just-what do you want? I'll get it. Anything you want at all."

Suddenly, the sobs ceased as Chloe's eyes glimmered. "Anything?"

"Yeah, anything."

"Let's go to Denny's."

"Done."

September ninth, the day Chloe and Beca met, the anniversary of Beca's mother's death. Ella Mitchell was hard at work up in the clouds. That day, Beca arrived home at three in the morning after a grueling studio session with Pink, and Chloe was fast asleep in bed, fruit roll-up wrappers and empty gummy bear bags littering the sheets around her with an empty carton of Ben & Jerry's on the night stand. Beca admired her wife a moment before clearing off the bed. Although Chloe ate like a grizzly bear, she was still only large in front. She maintained her curves throughout nine months, and Beca wondered if she truly was an angel or something. Either way though, she would always be beautiful to the brunette inside and out. Beca stripped down and pulled on some sweats and a tanktop before settling into bed beside her wife and snaking an arm around the redhead. She had been running over fifty hours without sleep, and she was exhausted.

She had not been asleep more than ten minutes when suddenly, her hand was taken into a vice grip, cutting off all circulation to her fingers. She yelped in pain as Chloe shot up into a sitting position. Beca sat up beside her.

"Babe, what's wrong?" Beca asked.

"Beca, the-the baby's coming!" she squealed so high-pitched, Beca didn't quite understand.

"Huh?"

"The baby! It's coming!"

"Babe, what are you-"

"THERE IS A CHILD TRYING TO SQUEEZE OUT OF MY VAGINA!"

"Oh...OH! Oh my gosh! Okay, okay."

Beca jumped out of bed, grabbing the standby duffle bag from the closet and setting it by the door while she pulled on her jeans and a flannel shirt.

"Okay, shoes," she muttered to herself. "Where are-shoes?"

"Beca, just go fuckin' barefoot if you have to!"

"Babe, no cursing in front of the baby, remember? She-"

"Shut the fuck up and get this thing out!"

Her breathing was labored now, and Beca was in a state of shocked panic. She found her shoes and tugged them on quickly then she grabbed the bag and ran out of the room flailing her arms.

"Rebeca Annabel fuckin' idiot MITCHELL!" Chloe barked from the room. "Aren't you forgetting something up here?"

"Oh shit!" Beca gasped, turning back and running to get her wife.

She helped Chloe to her feet and into her slippers. They made their way downstairs before Beca began frantically looking for her keys.

"Beca, you just got home!" Chloe growled. "Where did you put them ten minutes ago!"

"Okay, Chlo, you yelling at me is not helping. I can't think when-"

"If you don't find the keys in like two seconds, YOU WILL BE CARRYING ME TO THE FUCKING HOSPITAL! DO YOU UNDERSTAND!"

"Got it."

After sifting through the kitchen twice, Beca found the keys hanging by the door. She opened the door and led Chloe out before locking it and unlocking her car. She aided Chloe in sliding into the passenger seat before running around and jumping into the driver seat. She turned on the car and hit the gas, forgetting to put it in reverse and nearly crashing into the garage before being able to get out of the driveway.

"Oh yeah, just kill your wife and kid!" Chloe screeched. "You put this thing in me, and now you want out!? Go ahead and-"

"Honey, I watched. I didn't put anything in you. Can you-"

"Just hold my hand." It was a low growl.

"Baby, I need my hands on the wheel if we-"

"HOLD MY FUCKING HAND BEFORE I CUT YOUR DICK OFF!"

"I don't have a-" Beca didn't get to finish before she received a dead arm with a sharp punch from Chloe. She leaned over grasping her shoulder and wincing in pain. She bit her lip so as to keep her insults to herself, but suddenly Chloe was crying very hard. Beca reached over and grabbed her hand instinctively.

"Tell me I'm beautiful," the redhead sobbed.

"You are so beautiful, honey," Beca coaxed, her eyes on the road.

"STOP LYING TO ME! I KNOW YOU'RE LYING TO ME! YOU CAN'T EVEN LOOK AT ME AND TELL ME THAT!"  
"Baby, I need to keep my eyes on the road if we-"

"LOOK AT ME AND TELL ME I'M BEAUTIFUL!"

Beca glanced over quickly. "Baby, you are beautiful. So beautiful."

"WHY DO YOU LIE TO ME! I-"

"CHLOE ARIA BEALE-MITCHELL! I FUCKING LOVE YOU, AND YOU ARE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FUCKING CREATURE ON THIS PLANET! YOU SHIT BUTTERFLIES AND COTTON CANDY, AND I LOVE YOU, BUT I AM ABOUT TO WRECK THIS CAR BECAUSE YOUR HORMONES ARE FUCKING CRAZY! NOT YOU BUT YOUR HORMONES! I UNDERSTAND IT'S A GIRL SO THEY'RE WORST, BUT I NEED YOU TO PIPE-THEE-FUCK-DOWN AND LET ME HANDLE THIS SHIT. LET ME DO MY THING, SO WE CAN HAVE A FUCKING BABY MITCHELL, OKAY?"

Chloe was quiet now as she shyly took Beca's hand in her own.

"You don't have to yell," she said nonchalantly.

Beca huffed but just gripped the steering wheel tighter. At last, the hospital came into view, and Beca was ecstatic. When they at last placed Chloe in a room, the brunette excused herself for a few moments, much to Chloe's anger, to call everyone they knew and let them know it was time. She returned to the room shortly after and took Chloe's hands. Chloe continued to call her names and insult her, but it was okay because when the doctor finally handed over their healthy and beautiful little girl with light tuffs of hair and fair ivory skin, it was all worth it.

"Jenna Noelle Beale-Mitchell," Beca hissed to the nurse when prompted for a name. "That's my daughter."

Chloe was fast asleep in no time, and Amy, Jesse and Stacie, who were still going strong together, came in to meet the newest edition to the family. Serge and Lily arrived soon after, and it was surely a sight to see.

"It's tradition in Tasmania to strap a newborn baby to your stomach like in a homemade kangaroo pouch and jump and down for several minutes," Amy informed them.

"Oh yeah?" Jesse asked. "Because here in America it's illegal."

"How is that illegal?"

"Uh, it's child abuse, and it can cause baby shaking syndrome. They can develop speech problems and brain damage."

"No way. My mom did it to me."

"Well that explains a lot."

Serge turned into a huge soft teddy bear when little Noelle was set in his arms. He was cooing and making funny noises and faces, and Stacie was of course video taping the whole thing. She had tried to tape the birth too, but Chloe had flung a plastic cup of water at her, causing her to cease the taping.

Warren along with Richard and Jenna called the moment they received pictures of their granddaughter, and they were over the moon with excitement. They promised that they would visit for Thanksgiving once again, but they could hardly wait. Andy even screamed in joy, something he would forever deny, when he saw the photo. Aubrey of course could confirm he had because somehow, they had wound up in a steady relationship in the last two years to Chloe's delight. Beca was happy about it too because it put Aubrey at ease. Allie and the twins also sent congratulatory text messages, and Beca grinned. When all had cleared out of the room for the night, Beca took her daughter in her arms and walked around rocking her softly.

"Hey, bug," she whispered softly to the slumbering infant. "You know, I was terrified before tonight. I wasn't sure if I would be good enough to take care of you, but I promise that if you bare with me then I will try my hardest." The baby made a small whimpering sound but didn't awaken. "You know, your mother nearly killed us on the way here driving me nuts. I hope she finds her mind after this. I bet your Grandma Elle sent you on purpose today. It's been a long time since she left, but-she would love you. She would, so much. It was on this day five years ago that she brought me Mommy, you see. Let me tell you, I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into, Kid. Your mommy couldn't hit the barn-side of a barn with a pistol, or something like that. Anyway, Uncle Jesse called her Crap-Shot Chloe...Don't say that word though, okay? You see though, Mommy was really beautiful. She has these eyes that are as blue as the ocean but more crystal clear. I really hope you get her eyes and her fiery red hair because it's gorgeous. You're gonna be gorgeous too, just like your mommy, but you're gonna be a badass like me. I promise." Beca would swear to this day her little girl smirked in that moment, and she mirrored it. "Yeah, you definitely are. So Mommy finally learned to shoot, and well, I had to save her life once before she did, but she paid me back once she learned. She gave a really scary guy a boo-boo after he hurt me, and well, she saved my life. Grandma sent me back, so that I could see you here today." The baby made a sound that could only be described as a giggle then. "Yeah, it's pretty amazing, huh? Your grandpa can't wait to meet you either. You're a very lucky little girl because you have two moms and a big family that loves you, you know that? And a few aunts too. Don't mind your Auntie Aubrey though. She spits up as much as you're going to, I swear. Oh, and _NEVER _dress like Aunt Stacie. I will pull out the old heater again and cap a high school boy's ass, understand? Don't worry. I'm gonna teach you to shoot too. just like I taught Mommy because if Mommy can learn, anyone can, and no one will ever mess with you. No one messes with a Mitchell, you know? We're Titanium."

Another joyous giggle echoed through the room. Beca grinned widely at her daughter. As she turned around with a content sigh, she met bright cerulean eyes.

"You know you're just gonna have to tell that story again when she's older, right?" Chloe asked with a smirk.

"Don't worry," Beca replied. "I never get tired of telling it."

"Don't forget the part about Aunt Aubrey either when you publish it. I want her to hear that part."

"Oh, I'll tell it to her myself. Her face would be so priceless."

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Did Amy and them leave already?"

"Yeah, because I was worried Amy was gonna put our kid in a pouch and bounce around. Something about baby shaking syndrome and kangaroos. I don't know."

"Wow, very good protective instincts, Babe."

"So...are you sane again? No more yelling at me?"

"I can't make any promises, especially if my daughter calls me crap-shot Chloe at any time in her life."

"Hey, I warned her. Whether she obeys or not is totally her decision."

"Thanks for saying I was beautiful though."

"Oh, now it's a thank you! A few hours ago, it was a lie."

"Are you complaining?"

Beca shook her head viciously. "Nope, definitely not."

"Stop shaking that way. _You're_ gonna give her baby-shaking syndrome."

Beca strode over to her wife so that Chloe could get a better look at their daughter now that she was more awake. As she laid the infant in the redhead's arms, she kissed each one on the top of the head lovingly.

"I love you, Chlo-bear," she hissed.

"I love you too, badass boo bear," Chloe replied softly.

"Ugh."

Beca smiled despite herself, and Chloe mirrored it. They grew slowly until they reached from ear to ear, and it was the most beautiful moment. For thirteen years, September ninth had been a dreaded day, a day of bitter memories and rivers of tears. Five years prior, it became a milestone in Beca's and Chloe's lives, the day they met the loves of their lives and began on their journey together. Now on this day, it morphed from a remembrance of death to a celebration of life with the birth of their beautiful daughter. It was now marked with an amazing event of birth, of a new chapter in life and love. It was a day they were complete. They were a family, and after all of those years of pent up anger, frustration, and guilt, Beca had finally let go of the past and allowed her heart to be filled with limitless love. She couldn't be happier. She was no longer afraid of what the next day held because she had someone to face it with, and she no longer feared time because she had been given more than she could have ever asked for already, and it was more than enough. She would make the best of each day, and when it all came to an end, she could look back with a smile and live without regret.


	20. The Tale of the Shooting Star

_A/N: So... *cue depressing music* I believe we have at last reached the end of the road. I would like to thank everyone who took this journey of my first multi-fic with me. I hoped you enjoyed it as much as I did. Feel free to share it with our community. I hope I can make someone laugh and cry and laugh again. It was an amazing experience. I've written many works, many screenplays and scripts, but the rush of writing for this fandom is far beyond anything I have ever experienced. Don't worry. I already have another fic in the works. Just let me know how you guys feel about something a bit supernatural and outrageous. I'm trying something completely insane, and I hope you guys stay with me. If you have any suggestions, feel free to drop them. I wanna keep writing for you, so..._

"Mama, what's this?"

Beca glanced down as twelve-year-old Noelle pointed to the skin right above her tanktop's fabric. She pulled it down slightly, and Beca smiled.

"Yeah, Mama, what's that?" six-year-old Cole repeated as he came up beside his sister.

"That-is a scar?" Beca replied, and her children gasped.

"A scar?" Noelle reiterated. "Mama, why do you have a scar?"

Beca sat up on the couch now, pulling Cole onto her lap and Noelle into her side. Chloe, hearing her children's question, had already appeared at the top of the stairs, two-year-old Avery in her arms. She smiled as she descended, balancing Avery on her hip, her free hand on her quickly swelling belly.

"Do you guys wanna hear a story?" Beca asked, ruffling her son's dark brown hair lovingly.

"Yeah!" the children exclaimed, cuddling closer to their mother.

"You're just gonna have to tell it again in six months," Chloe reminded her, patting her belly softly.

"You know I love telling it, Babe," Beca reminded her as the redhead sat beside her daughter with the matching auburn locks. Avery's bright blue eyes observed the scene before giggling in delight. Chloe ran her hand softly over the light brown curls on the toddler's head as they settled in.

"Tell us the story, Mama," Noelle urged.

"Okay, okay," Beca sighed. "So, a very long time ago, seventeen years ago exactly, I met your mother."

"In the shoot range, right?"

"Yes, the shooting range."

"And Mommy kept missing, huh?"

Beca chuckled as her wife glared at her. "Yes, she was a horrible shot in the beginning, but Mama taught her, and she slowly, I mean realllllly slowwwwwly got better. Anyway, Mommy kept practicing, but one time, before she got really good, there was a really bad man that tried to hurt her. Well, Mama came to her rescue. She scared the bad man off, but see, Mommy didn't listen really well. She was living in a really bad part of town, and she didn't let Mama move her to a new house."

"This house?"

"Yeah, or any other house. Then that bad man came back, and he found me. He was really mad because I saved Mommy, so he shot me with his gun, and he hit me right here." Beca pointed at the scar. "It hurt really bad, but Mommy came, and she gave the big bad man a shot, you see. Then she sang to me, and she made me all better."

"Wow, you're a hero, Mommy!" Noelle now smiled at her redheaded mother. "Yes, she is," Beca went on. "She was very brave, and she protected me because that's what you do when you love someone."

"Is that why you're teaching me to shoot, Mama?"

"Yes, Noelle, that's why, so you'll always be safe, but what did I tell you guys about the shooting? Do you remember?"

"We only use guns to protect ourselves, but we never hurt anyone who doesn't try to hurt us," Noelle and Cole recited together.

"And?"

"And we always protect our family because no one messes with a Mitchell. Mitchells are titanium."

"Those are my babies."

Beca kissed her three children on their heads tenderly before leaning over and placing a soft kiss on Chloe's tummy.

"Okay, now go brush your teeth and get ready for bed," Chloe instructed.

Noelle darted off upstairs with Cole in tow, and their mothers watched with small smiles adorning their features.

"So, DJ..." Chloe began, snuggling into her wife as Avery rested her head on her mother's shoulder. "You've been right the last three times. What are we having this time around?"

Beca placed her hand over her wife's stomach, closing her eyes and tilting her head back as Chloe bit back a laugh.

"Let's see," Beca deliberated. "With our girls, you craved the weirdest things known to man...and woman, and you were round in front. With Cole, you just ate wayyyy too much pasta, and we went through like six bottles of orange juice a day. Plus, you were like, a wide load." Chloe swatted her arm, and she chuckled. "I'm going to have to say that we are having a boy?"

"So I'm a wide load now?"

"Hey, you said it, not me."

"You are evil."

"And you are beautiful, even with all that junk in yo' trunk!"

"I'mma bust a cap in yo' ass."

"You've been listening to Coolio again haven't you?"

"Actually, no, but 'Boyz N Tha Hood' was showing on TV yesterday, and I was much too lazy to get up and change it. It's actually really inspiring. I was actually contemplating looking at a house in Compton."

"Yeah, uh, no way. No more shooting stars for this family. One scar is enough."

"Oh, but you tell the traumatic stories so well to our children. You make them all elegant and beautiful."

"Chloe, you're really asking to be tied up right now."

"Oooh, I like the sound of that."

"Jesus, woman, you're like a fourteen-year-old boy when you're pregnant."

"Are you serious right now?"

"Except so much prettier."

"I'll just pull the couch out for you."

Beca kissed the redhead's jawline softly. "You need your snuggle buddy."

"No, I have the body pillow that Aubrey bought me."

"Ugh! I hate that stupid pillow! I'm gonna throw it out."

"Uh, no you're not."

"Watch me."

"Beca Beale-Mitchell, do you remember what happened to Jesse when he tossed out Stacie's pillow while she was pregnant with Anna?"

Beca groaned. "Yes."

"And what happened?"

"No sex for a month, he slept on the couch for the duration of that month..."

"And?"

"And..." Beca dropped her gaze to her lap.

"Go on." The brunette muttered something. "I didn't catch that."

She sighed. "She shaved his head in his sleep."

"No, she shaved the middle of his head. He had to keep the sides. Is that what you want, Babe? You want a racing stripe in the middle of your head?"

"No, ma'am."

"Then you leave the pillow be."

"Okay, fine, but...I wanna be your cuddle buddy."

Chloe scowled a moment before chuckling softly, cupping her wife's cheek and pulling her in for a soft kiss.

"You are so adorable, I can't even stay mad at you," she whispered.

"Hey, woman! I'm not adorable! What did I-"

"Becs, I've been calling you adorable and sweet and a million other pet names for seventeen years. There is not one thing you can do about it."

"Yeah, and calling me boo bear in front of all of Noelle's teachers is still inappropriate."

"But it's still gonna occur."

"Ugh, whatever, Beale-Mitchell."

It was a routine. It was cute banter and friendly bickering. It was a nightly ritual. Chloe would be nauseatingly cute, and Beca would be adorably defiant. It had been that way for nearly two decades. There were fights in between. Some were quite serious, but then Beca would run her fingers over the star-shaped scar on her chest then gently grip the locket forever around her neck. Chloe would stare intently at the wedding photo above their bed then she would look over at her beautiful children, and she would remember how close they had come to forfeiting such a beautiful future. They realized how quickly everything they loved could be snatched away. They reminisced on the fight they endured that fateful December night, and they knew that if they could defeat death then a silly fight about material things and Hollywood groupies was nothing to be afraid of. Together, they had overcome many obstacles. They had survived seventeen years, and they were still going strong. They still enjoyed being a couple, their love as fathomless and durable as the day it was formed. It was true love. It wasn't something they wished for on a shooting star or any of that, but that was exactly what Beca was. She was a shooting star. An up and coming DJ with a bright future that happened to spend significant time in a shooting range. Had she not lost her mother in such fashion, she never would have been at the range the day Matt left Chloe on her own. It was a simple passion such as firearms that had branched from a horrendous tragedy that had led her to a future so beautiful that she could never have imagined it in her wildest dreams. Yes, Ella Mitchell had been hard at work up in the clouds, and Beca didn't need to wish on a shooting star. She just needed to trust the one woman that led her to be one.

Okay so like I said, let me know if I should do this supernatural crazy fic I'm working on. It's going to be really long and thoroughly thought out because it's part of my job and is automatic, but if you're with me, just say the word.


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